What is the best way to write this short and simple PHP/HTML code?

This will also do the stuff,

<?php

if (!isset($_GET["id"])) {
?>

// then display this HTML below
 <div id="menu">
        <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Pending Expenses</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Open Report</a></li>
        </ul>
</div>
<?php
}

?>

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Logu, that doesn't make sense why that would work!  Can you please explain the logic?

Ray, ok so something like this?

<?php

if (!isset($_GET["id"])) {

// then display this HTML below

echo <<< EOT
 <div id="menu">
        <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Pending Expenses</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Open Report</a></li>
        </ul>
</div>

EOT;

}

?>

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The learning resources in this article will help you get a handle on this, and many other PHP-related questions.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/Web_Development/Web_Languages-Standards/PHP/A_11769-And-by-the-way-I-am-new-to-PHP.html

something like this?

Yes, but you'll find that the code is easier to maintain if you create your variables separately, away from the presentation (echo).  That's why I assigned a variable to the HEREDOC string then echo the variable, instead of echo the HEREDOC

Chris, but isn't anything not in PHP blocks automatically displayed?  That's what's throwing me off here.

On the other hand, when you fix and maintain other people's code, you can get pretty good at reading code like Ray's last example where everything is all inter-mixed.

Dave :-)

I make most of my money doing that, Ray.  Very educational and profitable.

Yeah, I had a similar experience last year.  When I see a code smell, I go hourly immediately!

hourly?  Is there another way???

Actually, I will do new jobs or small projects on a fixed quote when I know how it's going to go.  I'm very good at the things I've already done 100 times...

Yeah me too.  It takes about 100 times to get proficiency at my age ;-)

But Ray!!  You're Still a Young Man....

Erm :-)