php around html?!

[toshog]

i thought one could use php around html like this:

<?
if( $first_name == "" ) {
?>
<td width="233">
<?
print "<font color=\"red\">please fill in the name field</font><br>";
}
?>
<input name="first_name" type="text" id="first_name">
</td>

what actually happanes is that when the condition is not met the tag "<td width="233">" desappears.... no errors...

i just need a confirmation....

thanks...

[planetsim]

All though your a newbie by the looks of it. Yes you can do that. I really think you should try something before asking someone to make sure you can actually do it.

ID also change this
if( $first_name == "")

to either if(empty($first_name))

or better yet

if(empty($_POST['first_name']))
or if you are PHP 4.1 or lower

if(empty($HTTP_POST_VARS['first_name']))

[jjoske]

Your problem is that you have <td> tag afer the if statement so it will only be displayed if the condition is true. Change it to:

<?
<td width="233">

if( $first_name == "" ) {
print "<font color=\"red\">please fill in the name field</font><br>";
}
?>
<input name="first_name" type="text" id="first_name">
</td>

[toshog]

to jjoske:
thanks, that's what i needed to know...

and to the n00b planetsim:
i looked around, i didn't find much, i asked here. any problem with that? but thanks anyway... very educational...