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php_check_syntax

(PHP 5)

php_check_syntax --  Check the PHP syntax of (and execute) the specified file

Description

bool php_check_syntax ( string file_name [, string &error_message] )

The php_check_syntax() function performs a syntax (lint) check on the specified filename testing for scripting errors. This is similar to using php -l from the commandline except php_check_syntax() will execute (but not output) the checked file_name. For example, if a function is defined in file_name, this defined function will be available to the file that executed php_check_syntax(), but output from file_name will be suppressed.

Parameters

file_name

The name of the file being checked.

error_message

If the error_message parameter is used, it will contain the error message generated by the syntax check. error_message is passed by reference.

Return Values

Returns TRUE if the lint check passed, and FALSE if the link check failed or if file_name cannot be opened.

ChangeLog

VersionDescription
5.0.3 Calling exit() after php_check_syntax() resulted in a Segfault.
5.0.1 error_message is passed by reference.

Examples

Example 1. php_check_syntax() example

<?php

$error_message = "";
$filename = "./tests.php";

if(!php_check_syntax($filename, $error_message)) {
   printf("Errors were found in the file %s:\n\n%s\n", $filename, $error_message);
} else {
   printf("The file %s contained no syntax errors.", $filename);
}

?>

The above example will output something similar to:

Errors were found in the file ./tests.php:

parse error, unexpected T_STRING in /tmp/tests.php on line 81

See Also

include()
is_readable()

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