hi im learing php i understand it just one question really the variables are they set php code or are they anythink i want them to be i hope you understand what i mean.

They can be anything you want them to be as long as you put a $ in front of the word eg. $var1, $var2

A couple of rules for naming variables though: They can only inlcude letters, numbers and underscores; They must begin with either an underscore or letter, not a number!

There are some exceptions though there are some predefined variables click here for more information of predefined variables

Remember that variable names ARE case sensitive so $var is different to $Var

thanks vegancoder i thought that was the case but best to make sure

millwalll ... thinking of the type of question you were asking ... i would recommend you read the php manual ... the language reference part...

you can find it here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/langref.php

Some variables are "reserved" by PHP too, u might want to look for them in the PHP manual, as some are actually very useful and can save time - espcially if you've created a pointless function.

Variables can not have the same name as Reserved Variables, and Reserved Variables values cannot be changed either.

do you know if the php manual has a printble version and i will tkae a look when i get home thank for all your help

It does have a printed version (altho its not one big page), however i wouldnt recommend bothering to print it. The reason is that PHP is updated every now and again and more and more is added to the manual, plus, with the online manual you can search it, while still having the privallage of constant updates

ok then thanks alot