Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

PHP

Jason Anders
MOD
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points
Posted by Jason Anders
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points

Space after comma? ... or not?

I'm about half way through the "Build a Basic PHP website," and I've notice that Alena Holligan doesn't use spaces after the commas.

Eg.

echo get_item_html($id,$item);

As opposed to

echo get_item_html($id, $item);

As an editor by trade, I'm finding this a very difficult habit to acquire. My question is... Does it matter? Is this just a personal convention? Or, is this something that needs / should be done in PHP? I've noticed both work when compiled, and I've seen both used in code.

Just wondering, because this will be a very hard convention for me to adopt. :pensive:

Thanks guys!

Farouk Charkas
Farouk Charkas
1,957 Points
Farouk Charkas
Farouk Charkas
1,957 Points

I am not sure, test both lines and see if they create any trouble :-)

2 Answers

Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,413 Points
Seth Kroger
Seth Kroger
56,413 Points

No it doesn't matter. Languages with C-ish syntax are pretty ambivalent about whitespace. Unless it's required to separate names/keywords it doesn't need to be there. But whitespace does help us to read and understand the code. All the whitespace rules are are conventions of varying degree of adherence to make code more legible. And as conventions, there will always be a bit of personal variation.

I'd say that if you're more comfortable with spaces after commas, stick with it. You'll be in good company.

Alena Holligan
STAFF
Alena Holligan
Treehouse Teacher
Alena Holligan
Alena Holligan
Treehouse Teacher

I'm just lazy ;) and PHP doesn't care about white space