PHP variables get initialised when they're first assigned to. php_value session.auto_start 1 If you add the above line in the .htaccess file, that should start a session automatically in your PHP application. ""I would like to display some html code if a variable is not empty, else I would like to display nothing. Since a variable must have some value and PHP's value for "nothing" is null, you want: The basic assignment operator in PHP is "=". Associative arrays: Arrays having named keys. To create a variable you always have to assign something to it. A variable is considered empty if it does not exist or if its value equals FALSE.. Let's try out the following example to understand how this function basically works: The function returns a boolean value as the result of the output of the function. Topic: PHP / MySQL Prev|Next Answer: Use the PHP empty() function. PHP Assignment Operators. Basically, empty() function can be used to check a variable is empty or not in PHP. empty() does not generate a warning if the variable does not exist. PHP has multiple functions used to check PHP variables with respect to their initialized values. Here we will learn what is an empty function and how to use this function. Here the biggest advantage is we can pass data to a different site even running at different servers. If a variable has been unset with unset(), it will no longer be set. It's a design choice, for better or worse. Determine whether a variable is considered to be empty. Back to the original question, " ... if variable is not empty, echo some html code. On the other hand, if you don’t have access to the php.ini file, and you're using the Apache web server, you could also set this variable using the .htaccess file. I'm pretty sure it's really simple . These functions are, isset() is to check if a variable is set with a value. I am trying to make sure that 2 fields are filled before I insert them into my database. Arrays in PHP: Use array() Function to create an array in PHP. Code language: PHP (php) Determine if a variable is set and is not NULL.. You can use the PHP empty() function to find out whether a variable is empty or not. PHP doesn't have an explicit statement to initialise variables, like Javascript's var. But, if the variable is not null and empty, it returns a true value. Obviously I want all of those variables to be checked if they are empty or not. Again if you pass multiple variables to the PHP isset function, then if all the variables are not null, the function returns a true value. The difference with isset() is, isset has NULL check enabled. Multidimensional arrays: It contains one or more array in particular array. Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Passing variables with data between pages using URL There are different ways by which values of variables can be passed between pages.One of the ways is to use the URL to pass the values or data. I did a quick Google and found that checking if the variables are null wouldn't be the correct way of solving this situation because an "empty string" is still not null? empty() is to check if a given variable is empty. There are three types of array supported in PHP: Indexed arrays: Arrays having a numeric index. A variable is considered empty if it does not exist or if its value equals false. using "empty" with multiple variables. It means that the left operand gets set to the value of the assignment expression on the right. empty() function in PHP. How to check whether a variable is empty in PHP. Seems like folks are complicating this a bit. Note: Why it is always good practice to declare an empty array and then push the items to that array? The PHP assignment operators are used with numeric values to write a value to a variable.