echo and print are both used to output data in PHP. However, there are a few key differences between the two:
Echo:
echo is slightly faster than print. This is because echo doesn't have a return value and doesn't create a new variable.
Print:
print is a function, whereas echo is a language construct. This means that print has a return value of 1, whereas echo doesn't have a return value.
print can only take one argument, whereas echo can take multiple arguments.
Both echo and print can be used to output data to the screen, but echo is used more frequently because it is slightly faster and more versatile.'
What does it means return?
return on the other hand, is a language construct used in functions and methods, it is used to return a value from a function or method back to the calling code. The returned value can be stored in a variable, passed to another function or used in an expression.
It does not output anything to the screen.
In summary, echo and print are used to output data to the screen, whereas return is used to return a value from a function or method to the calling code.
It's worth noting that echo and print both can be used to output content to the web page and also return values, but return is used exclusively to return the value from a function or method.