By adding the extra <?php and ?> you can write content to the page without using echo()
That allows it to be displayed in Dreamweaver design view as well, so I prefer that syntax.
I'm not sure what you are going for with the line:
<?php
} elseif {.$WADAtable->getColumnVal("column2") == ''
?>
elseif syntax is exactly the same as if syntax... just it won't run if the code above did. So yours should look more like:
<?php
} elseif ($WADAtable->getColumnVal("column2") == '') {.
?>
and this :
<?php
} else { thisrequirement2
?>
should be:
<?php
} else (thisrequirement2) {
?>