use 'short echo tag' in generated output..?

[davidbuzz]

a lot of the generated php in the cache/php folder looks like this:
<?php echo 'xxxxx'; ?>
when it could be made more readable, and shorter by being like this:
<?='xxxxx'?>
... which is much shorter, and easier to read, and also makes the cached files a bunch shorter and so less disk acceses etc.
'short echo tag', ie <?= is enabled-by-default on all php since 5.4, and isn't related to then 'short open tag' any more.

I think it would be beneficial to move to to using htese shorter tags. .. or at least have it as an option when configuring smarty to decide what tags to use . ?
https://wiki.php.net/rfc/deprecate_php_short_tags_v2

[scottchiefbaker]

This would only work IF short tags were enabled at the PHP level. Most installations do not enable this. Also considering they've attempted to deprecated this twice now, I'm not in a hurry to start supporting it.

[wisskid]

I believe the short echo tag is always available regardless of settings, since php 5.4.

That said, the upside of this change is very small. The generated php code isn't meant for easy reading (yet) and contains a lot more php code than just echo statements. Switching to the short echo tag won't do a lot to make it more readable.

In fact, it even makes it impossible to run adjecent blocks of php code together.

[davidbuzz]

• xdebug users will love it
• less disk space/blocks/reads
• easier migration to a php-based templating tool/s by using the php cache files

[lkppo]

These are penny-pinching savings.