* statement
** echo (no longer required) outputs text
** "" followed by double quote
** ends in semicolon

* Script
** starts with <? 

* Comment
** //use the two dashes
** /* multi line comment. Include both */

* Strings
** Words or text treated as a single item
** sequence of characters
** strings are what you want to keep as data
** quotation marks denote the end and start of strings
** Escape strings
*** want to use quotes? 
*** \"hi\"
*** want a new line? use backslacsh and 
** String Concatenation
*** adding two strings together
*** use a period as an operator
*** Spaces must be added inside of quotes
*** the two strings are called the operands 

*Variables

** Key Terms
*** store values so we can reuse them.
*** declaring a variable means assigning a name
*** assignment is the process of associating a name

** Creating Variables
*** To declare a variable we use the dollar sign followed by the variable name
*** we put the value in quotes
*** $my_name = "Greg McVerry"
*** snake case-using the underscore between words

** Using variables
*** variables are treated as values they hold

** Variable Parsing
*** a string contains multiple variables in double quotes
*** You can put the variable name in curly brackets ${color}ish
*** The variables are parsed from the string

** Variable Reassignment
*** process of assigning a new variable is reassignment
*** You often rename a variable as a new variable through reassignment

** Concatenating Assignment Variables
*** reasign variables and values through operations
*** There is a shorthand notation for concatenating assignment .=
*** example: $sentence = $sentence .= ", bananas";

** Assign by Reference
*** saying the variable on the left points to the variable on the right
*** uses the assign by reference operator =&
*** $order =&
    $very_bad_unclear_name;
    $order = $order.= ", rice";

* numbers
** PHP has two number types
*** integer data type= positiv and whole numbers
*** floating data type = decimal numbers
** you can declare variables and assign numbers

** addition and subtraction
*** normal operations

**using number variables
*** variables can use number operators