How to stop splitting PHP strings in NetBeans 8

In Java and JavaScript strings cannot span multiple lines. NetBeans 8 will helpfully change the code you are writing so the a single multi-line string will become many single line strings joined together. However if you are using NetBeans for PHP this can become a little annoying especially if you are writing long SQL statements.

If you want to switch this off like I did, go into Tools / Options / Editor / Code Completion, select PHP as the language then scroll down to the very bottom and deselect ‘Use String Auto-Concatenation after Typed Break’.