Print newline in PHP in single quotes

In PHP, the newline character
doesn't work inside single quotes because single quotes treat all characters literally. However, there are several alternative approaches to print newlines when working with single quotes.

Using PHP_EOL Constant

The PHP_EOL constant provides a cross−platform newline character that works in both CLI and web environments ?

<?php
    $text1 = 'First line';
    $text2 = 'Second line';
    echo $text1 . PHP_EOL . $text2;
?>
First line
Second line

Using Double Quotes for Newline

You can combine single quotes with double−quoted newline characters ?

<?php
    $var1 = 'Hello';
    $var2 = "<br>";
    $var3 = 'World';
    echo $var1 . $var2 . $var3;
?>
Hello
World

Using chr() Function

The chr(10) function returns the newline character (ASCII 10) ?

<?php
    $message = 'Line 1' . chr(10) . 'Line 2';
    echo $message;
?>
Line 1
Line 2

Environment-Specific Approach

For applications that run in both CLI and web environments, you can detect the interface and use appropriate newline characters ?

<?php
function getNewline() {
    if (PHP_SAPI === 'cli') {
        return PHP_EOL;
    } else {
        return '<br>';
    }
}

echo 'First line' . getNewline() . 'Second line';
?>

Comparison

Method Use Case Cross-Platform
PHP_EOL General purpose Yes
"
"
Simple newline Unix/Linux
chr(10) ASCII approach Unix/Linux

Conclusion

When working with single quotes in PHP, use PHP_EOL for cross−platform compatibility or concatenate with double−quoted "
"
characters. The PHP_EOL constant is the most reliable approach for newlines in PHP applications.

Updated on: 2026-03-15T08:29:30+05:30

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