What does "$" mean?

[Stylus]

hey there, I'm a beginner and I'm learning by analysing web page sources etc. I keep finding the $ symbol, and can't find any information on the internet because search engines don't allow me to search for $. If anyone could help me, it would be greatly appreciative. Here is an example:


<?php if ( $paged < 2 ) { // Do stuff specific to first page?>

[blueocto]

Its a symbol used in PHP (and no doubt other programming languages) to define variables in the code.

Variables are containers that hold information. First, you give a variable a
name, and then you can store information in it. For example, you could
name a variable $age and store the number 21 in it. After you store information
in a variable, you can use that variable later in the script.

[hmbl programmer]

In the context you provided, it is as bluecto said, the basis for all PHP variables. Check out PHP's site for more info: PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

If you're seeing it in "View Source", within JavaScript code, it's possibly Prototype's shortcut for document.getElementById(): Prototype JavaScript framework: Utility Methods.$

[darksoul32]

$ is for variables. This is just a quick random php script to give you an example.

<?php
$testy = rand(0,9999);
echo "$testy";
?>

So $testy would be the variable and it could be any random number between 0 and 9999 so it generates a random number, assigns it to the variable and then echo would show you the random number.

Hope this helps I am not that gifted at teaching lol..