Jul 6

PHP: Single Quote vs. Double Quote Optimization Notes

PHP

Optimizing PHP with the by using quotes properly in echo statements is a pretty easy
thing to do, and it will also enhance the security of your script ever-so-slightly.

Essentially, there are two types of quotes in PHP, double quotes ( “ ) and single quotes ( ‘ ). Both can be used in echo statements, but double-quotes have a lot more overhead since the interpreter must go through them looking for variables.

So, if you’re going to output a string that doesn’t have any variables you should always use single quotes.

Example:

1
2
3
4
5

//This... (using single quotes)
   echo 'Hello World';
 
//is faster than this... (using double quotes)
   echo "Hellow World";

Its also slightly more secure since there’s no way a variable’s value can accidently be output in single quotes, but this is a minimal risk at best.