# PHP Variables

# Creating PHP Variables

Variables in PHP are just like variables in Javascript. They can be of different types of data saved in the variables - Strings, Booleans, Numbers, Dates, or Arrays. All variable names start with a dollar sign.

<?php 
  $name = "John"; 
  $age = 33; 
?>

The above example creates two variables - one called $name and one called $age. If you want to change the contents of a variable then you would write the same thing as you would to create the variable.

<?php 
  $age = 34; 
?>

Now the value inside the variable $age is 34 instead of 33.

# Retrieving PHP Variables

To the value stored inside of a PHP Variable, you simple call the variable name.

<?php $name; ?>

However, this only retrieve the variable value inside of PHP. No content will be displayed in the browser. If we want to write out the value of the variable $name then you can use the echo statement.

<?php echo $name; ?>

# Deleting a PHP Variable

If you ever want to delete a variable there is a function called unset() that will let you destroy a variable.

<?php 
  unset($age); 
?>

The above example is destroying the variable $age.