Understanding Multiline Comments in PHP

PHP, the popular server-side scripting language, offers several ways to make comments in the code. One of them is the multiline comment syntax, which is quite useful when we have to provide detailed explanations or deactivate certain portions of your code temporarily.

The correct way to create a multiline comment in PHP is by using /* comment */. This method starts the comment with /* and ends it with */. Any text between these symbols is treated as a comment and is ignored by the PHP interpreter.

Let's illustrate this with an example:

<?php
/* This is a simple multiline
comment in PHP. You can write
as many lines as you wish
between the symbols */
echo "Hello, World!";
?>

In the example above, the PHP interpreter will ignore everything between /* and */, and the output will be "Hello, World!".

It's important to know that comments are not displayed when the PHP code is executed. They're solely for the convenience of the programmer, enabling you to create more readable and maintainable code.

However, keep in mind that excessive usage of comments can make the code cluttered and hard to read. It's recommended to use them judiciously to explain complicated pieces of code, or to provide a high-level overview at the beginning of a script or function.

Remember that other types of comments exist in PHP as well: single-line comments, which are created by using // comment or # comment. However, these single-line comment indicators won't work for multiline comments. Also, don't confuse PHP multiline comment syntax with HTML comment syntax (<!-- comment -->), which is incorrect in the context of PHP.