Because '
          <', '
          >' and '
          &' characters are cumbersome to use in XML, 
          PHPTAL provides alternative syntax for 
          PHP operators using these characters, and a few more for consistency.        
        
        These operators can be used only in 
          php: expressions.        
        
              < : 
              LT (less than)          
            
              > : 
              GT (greater than)          
            
              <= : 
              LE (less or equal)          
            
              >= : 
              GE (greater or equal)          
            
              == : 
              EQ (equal)          
            
              != : 
              NE (not equal)          
            
              && : 
              AND
            
              || : 
              OR