Escape HTML to PHP or Use Echo? Which is better?

Question

In terms of performance , what would be better. Using PHP to echo all the HTML output so I can pepper it with the various bits of working code and variables or escape HTML t

Answer 1

Let's cite the manual:

The example given here is contrived, of course, but for outputting large blocks of text, dropping out of PHP parsing mode is generally more efficient than sending all of the text through echo() or print().

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But please listen to the others and avoid this sort of micro optimization and choose the one that is more legible.

Can I propose a third solution? Have you heard of template engines? They help you create a clear separation between code and presentation which usually leads to cleaner code which is easier to maintain. A popular such template engine is e.g. smarty, but there are hundreds with different strengths.