Basic PHP question

I have started using PHP to convert all HTML content into PHP strings.

PHP HereDoc is great for making the strings more readable: 

Do you think it is worth making the extra effort? I do because most of my time is spent debugging

Nop, not worth it. You're creating a big headache for you in the future if your app grows.

Codeigniter is simply one of the tools you need to learn to be a successful developer. Always add more tools to your coding arsenal!