PHP: Tags Not Working in PHP 5.3.x under UNIX / Linux

Problem / Issue

I have recently installed php 5.3.5 in my UNIX box and my old working php code not working. It displays code in pages which is in <? … my code … ?> php tags. How do I fix this problem/Issue?

Solution

You need to allow the php tag by editing php.ini file. Using short tags should be avoided when developing applications or libraries that are meant for redistribution, or deployment on PHP servers which are not under your control, because short tags may not be supported on the target server. For portable, redistributable code, be sure not to use short tags.

# vi php.ini
Make the changes as follows:

 
short_open_tag = On
 

Save and close the file .Reload or restart the apache web server:
# apachectl -k restartOR
# service httpd restart