Can someone explain PHP's <<<EOT syntax without referring me to the PHP manual?

[n0sleeves]

I'm following the FAQ post here / trying to create password protected page. The code they supplied was this: 

 

<?php

if ($_POST['awesome_password'] != $page->page_password) {

echo <<<EOT
<h1>Login</h1>
    <form name='form' method='post' action='$page->url'>
    <input type='password' title='Enter your password' name='awesome_password' />
    <br />
    <input type='submit' name='Submit' value='Login' />
	</form>
EOT;
} else {
echo "<p>This is the protected page. Content goes here.</p>";
}

?> 

That works beautifully. However, I want to spit out more than just a simple ECHO in the else statement. In fact, I want some pretty simple Html mixed with php.  Now I tried modifying the original code supplied by adding another <<< thinking that it would work but of course it didn't

else {
echo <<<EOD

	
	<!--Begin Table For Catalog Data -->
	<table id="catalog" class="display" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
		<thead>
	    	<tr>
		        <th>Artist</th>
		        <th>Track Name</th>
		        <th>Album</th>
		        <th>Length</th>
		        <th>Songwriter(s)</th>
		        <th>Genre</th>
		        <th><span data-tooltip class="has-tip" title="Displays the following mood / emotion / characteristic">Traits</span></th>
		        <th><span data-tooltip class="has-tip" title="All songs are originals unless designated cover (letter C)">Type</span></th>
		        <th></th>
		    </tr>
		</thead>

		<tbody>

		<?php //Table Loops
		$tracks = $pages->find("has_parent=/artists/, template=track");

		if($tracks) {
		  foreach($tracks as $track) {
		  	echo "<tr>";
		  	echo "<td id='artistName'>" . $track->parent->parent->title . "</td>"; // artist name
		    echo "<td id='trackTitle'>" . $track->title . "</td>";
		    echo "<td id='albumTitle'>" . $track->parent->title . "</td>"; // this is the album name
		    echo "<td id='trackLength'>" . $track->track_length . "</td>"; // track length
		    echo "<td>" . $track->songwriter . "</td>"; // track songwriter

		    echo "<td id='genres'>";
		    foreach ($track->genres as $genre) {
		    	echo $genre->title . "/";
		    };
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td id='traits'>";
		    foreach ($track->moods as $mood) {
		    	echo $mood->title . "/ ";
		    }; 
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td>";
		    // determin cover song or not
		    if($track->song_type != null) {
		    	echo '<img id="logo" src="' . $config->urls->templates . 'img/letterC.png">';
		    } else {
		    	echo "";
		    }; //end determin cover
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td>" . "<a href=' " . $track->song_file->url . " ' class='sm2_button'>Play</a>" ."</td>";
		    echo "</tr>";
		    		
		  }
		}
		?> 

    </tbody>
	</table>
	<!-- End Catalog Table -->

	<!-- Initialize DataTable -->
	<script> 
	$(document).ready(function () {
    	$('#catalog').DataTable();
	} );
	</script>

EOD;
}
?> 

I have never worked with <<< Heredoc syntax before, Apparently you can't put whatever you want between it? No? 

[mr-fan]

EOT is only to echo large texts within PHP vars i think....so try this untested...

else {
//ending PHP part start HTML
?> 

	
	<!--Begin Table For Catalog Data -->
	<table id="catalog" class="display" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
		<thead>
	    	<tr>
		        <th>Artist</th>
		        <th>Track Name</th>
		        <th>Album</th>
		        <th>Length</th>
		        <th>Songwriter(s)</th>
		        <th>Genre</th>
		        <th><span data-tooltip class="has-tip" title="Displays the following mood / emotion / characteristic">Traits</span></th>
		        <th><span data-tooltip class="has-tip" title="All songs are originals unless designated cover (letter C)">Type</span></th>
		        <th></th>
		    </tr>
		</thead>

		<tbody>

		<?php //Table Loops   --starts PHP is correct for the loop for your tracks
		$tracks = $pages->find("has_parent=/artists/, template=track");

		if($tracks) {
		  foreach($tracks as $track) {
		  	echo "<tr>";
		  	echo "<td id='artistName'>" . $track->parent->parent->title . "</td>"; // artist name
		    echo "<td id='trackTitle'>" . $track->title . "</td>";
		    echo "<td id='albumTitle'>" . $track->parent->title . "</td>"; // this is the album name
		    echo "<td id='trackLength'>" . $track->track_length . "</td>"; // track length
		    echo "<td>" . $track->songwriter . "</td>"; // track songwriter

		    echo "<td id='genres'>";
		    foreach ($track->genres as $genre) {
		    	echo $genre->title . "/";
		    };
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td id='traits'>";
		    foreach ($track->moods as $mood) {
		    	echo $mood->title . "/ ";
		    }; 
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td>";
		    // determin cover song or not
		    if($track->song_type != null) {
		    	echo '<img id="logo" src="' . $config->urls->templates . 'img/letterC.png">';
		    } else {
		    	echo "";
		    }; //end determin cover
		    echo "</td>";

		    echo "<td>" . "<a href=' " . $track->song_file->url . " ' class='sm2_button'>Play</a>" ."</td>";
		    echo "</tr>";
		    		
		  }
		}
                // ends PHP part again is correct from your code
		?>  

    </tbody>
	</table>
	<!-- End Catalog Table -->

	<!-- Initialize DataTable -->
	<script> 
	$(document).ready(function () {
    	$('#catalog').DataTable();
	} );
	</script>

<?php //start PHP for last closing brace for the if/else contruct
// no need for EOD;
}
?> 

But i'am no real PHP Coder....so be aware this is only a hint and may someone else could do this more fancy

Best Regards

[n0sleeves]

Mr-fan, I am now a fan because you are the man! It seemed too easy and too good to be true, but that totally worked!!! Thank you!! 
How come I have never seen this method mentioned in the books I am reading is beyond me    Maybe reading the wrong books? lol.

Is there a name for this?

[Pete]

Look up "Php heredoc" on Google and you will find everything you need on the subject

The first result in the list at Php.net explains it pretty well.

[houseofdeadleg]

Not sure about EOT (so much so that I removed it from the example above) but I'm using the example to echo out a mix of HTML and PHP with loops, etc. I'll post what I've got in the original thread when I get chance if that's of any use?

[LostKobrakai]

I think your problem was a simple typo, it has to be EOT, not EOD

echo <<<EOT
[...]
EOT;

[teppo]

I think your problem was a simple typo, it has to be EOT, not EOD

echo <<<EOT
[...]
EOT;

Not really. Identifier in can be any valid label. This, for an example, is entirely valid:

<?php
echo <<<TEPPO
Hello world.
TEPPO;

[Martijn Geerts]

I think your problem was a simple typo, it has to be EOT, not EOD

The most common typo is any white-space character before the closing label or after the semicolon.

// This fails, note the space before EOS;
echo <<<EOS
Hello world.
 EOS;

[LostKobrakai]

Good to know, I never really used it, but I can't remember seeing something different than EOT. 

[mr-fan]

but that totally worked!!! Thank you!!

i thought it's solved....

...EOT or what ever is named is only for large texts within PHP vars without loops or something else...but may i'm wrong since i'm no pro.

kind regards mr-fan

[Pete]

Oh wow, someone obviously took my post the wrong way and changed the title of this topic.

Plenty of good examples over on the PHP site with explanations of the functionality so please anyone don't be surprised or offended if anyone here refers you to docs or other sites sometimes or we would repeat ourselves and duplicate content found elsewhere.