How to enable PHP short tags?
PHP short tags are a shortened version of the standard PHP opening tag.
PHP short tags are a shortened version of the standard PHP opening tag <?php. Instead of using <?php, you can use the shorter <? to open a PHP block. (Note: The <?= echo tag is always enabled by default in PHP 5.4+ and does not depend on this setting.)
To enable short tags, locate the short_open_tag configuration setting in your php.ini file and set it to On:
How to enable PHP short tags?
short_open_tag = OnOnce you have made this change, save the php.ini file and restart your web server or reload the PHP CLI environment to apply the changes.
Keep in mind that short tags are disabled by default on many systems because they can interfere with XML parsing (<?xml ... ?>). It is generally recommended to use the full <?php opening tag instead of short tags.