Comment, comment, comment…but which comment code goes where?

Commented code is worth its weight in gold when it comes time to decipher it. Unfortunately, the codes for commenting in xhtml, css and php are not all the same. So, for reference sake here are the comment codes you’ll need and where to use them.

Where xxx is your comment, for

  • xhtml (html) and php (outside php code) use <!-- xxx -->
  • css use /* xxx */
  • php (inside php code or between <?php and ?>) use // xxx
  • multi-line comments inside php use /* xxx */

Comments are very helpful in troubleshooting style changes. When creating your designs take a few seconds to jot down a comment here and there.

Great uses of comments include labeling the starting and ending location of id- or class-identified divs, putting temporary holds on features that may or may not be needed in the final design — often called commenting out code, sectioning long stylesheets into more easily readable forms, and specifying the author or location of the code.