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# highlight_string

(PHP 4, PHP 5)

highlight_string -- Syntax highlighting of a string

## Description

mixed highlight_string ( string str [, bool return] )

The highlight_string() function outputs a syntax highlighted version of str using the colors defined in the built-in syntax highlighter for PHP.

If the second parameter return is set to `TRUE` then highlight_string() will return the highlighted code as a string instead of printing it out. If the second parameter is not set to `TRUE` then highlight_string() will return `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` on failure.

> Note: This function internally uses the output buffering with this parameter so it can not be used inside ob_start() callback function.

Example 1. highlight_string() example
`<?php highlight_string('<?php phpinfo(); ?>'); ?>`
The above example will output (in PHP 4):
    <code><font color="#000000">
    <font color="#0000BB">&lt;?php phpinfo</font><font color="#007700">(); </font><font color="#0000BB">?&gt;</font>
    </font>
    </code>
The above example will output (in PHP 5):
    <code><span style="color: #000000">
    <span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php phpinfo</span><span style="color: #007700">(); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span>
    </span>
    </code>

> Note: The return parameter became available in PHP 4.2.0. Before this time it behaved like the default, which is `FALSE`

See also highlight_file().

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