PHP function in HTML - php

Question

I have a form for tracking an investment's performance.
The code looks like this:
<form style="margin-top: 60px" action="" method="post">
<p>
<table>
<tr>
<th>Name of Investment</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><select name="">
<?php
$sql = 'SELECT DISTINCT deal_name FROM tbl_deal';
$result = mysqli_query($DBconnect, $sql);
if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0)
{
echo "<option value=''>Select Investment</option>";
while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result))
{
echo "<option value='$row[0]'>$row[0]</option>";
}
}
else
{
echo "<option value=''>No Investments Found</option>";
}
?>
</select></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>
<table>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th colspan="2">Year 1</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 2</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 3</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 4</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 5</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>January</th>
<td>
<select name="">
<option value="">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="" size="5"></td>
<td>
<select name="">
<option value="">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="" size="5"></td>
<td>
<select name="">
<option value="">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="" size="5"></td>
<td>
<select name="">
<option value="">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="" size="5"></td>
<td>
<select name="">
<option value="">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="" size="5"></td>
</tr>
...and so on for everything month. As you can see, it's very repetitive. I tried making a PHP function to at least minimize the dropdown menu's redundancy, but I get an 'unexpected <' error.
It seems that the HTML tags are giving me problems?
Any advice how to write PHP functions containing HTML?
Any other advice on minimizing the redundancy?

Answer 1

The new and concise code:
<?php
echo '
<table>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th colspan="2">Year 1</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 2</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 3</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 4</th>
<th colspan="2">Year 5</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Month</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th>$</th>
</tr>
';
$months = array('January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December');
$distribReceived = 1;
$returnCapital = 2;
$capitalCall = 3;
$category = "category";
$amount = "amount";
//Loop for each month
for($monthNum = 0; $monthNum < 12; ++$monthNum)
{
echo '<tr>
<th>'. $months[$monthNum] .'</th>
';
//Loop for each year
for($year = 1; $year < 6; ++$year)
{
echo '
<td>
<select name="'.$months[$monthNum].$year.'">
<option value="'.$distribReceived.'">Distribution Received</option>
<option value="'. $returnCapital .'">Return of Capital</option>
<option value="'. $capitalCall .'">Capital Call</option>
</select>
</td>
<td><input type="text" name="'.$amount.$months[$monthNum].$year.'" size="5"></td>
';
}
echo '</tr>';
}
echo' </table><p>';
?>`