Check a PHP file for syntax errors [duplicate]

Question

I'm attempting to build an auditing feature into my application that will check for various code quality issues.

One of the things I would like to do is check certain PHP files for syntax errors. I was going to use php_check_syntax() but it has been removed in PHP 5.0.5.

I've tried using exec() statements but it isn't outputting anything. I've added a date to make sure exec() is working:

<?php

error_reporting(E_ALL | E_NOTICE | E_STRICT | E_WARNING);
ini_set('display_errors', 1);

$output = 'before';
var_dump($output);
var_dump(exec('php -l ' . __FILE__, $output));
var_dump($output);
var_dump(exec('date', $output));
var_dump($output);

Output:

string 'before' (length=6)
string '' (length=0)
array (size=0)
  empty
string 'Thu Feb  6 10:42:35 PST 2014' (length=28)
array (size=1)
  0 => string 'Thu Feb  6 10:42:35 PST 2014' (length=28)

How can I check a PHP file for syntax errors in PHP?

Did you check the command directly first? (To make sure the path is correct, and that the php command works correctly) — John V.
– John V., Commented Feb 6, 2014 at 2:02
The path is correct and the command works in terminal. I've tried /usr/bin/php as well — Steve Robbins
– Steve Robbins, Commented Feb 6, 2014 at 2:32
check php error logs and add the following to the top of php file error_reporting(E_ALL | E_NOTICE | E_STRICT | E_WARNING); @ini_set('display_errors', 1); — xzag
– xzag, Commented Feb 6, 2014 at 10:48
if it is working from the terminal and not through your web server, be sure that exec is enabled. Maybe you are running in safe mode? — Yann Sagon
– Yann Sagon, Commented Feb 6, 2014 at 10:57

Konstantin Ivanov · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-13 12:20:10Z

3

check web-server configuration. places like this: disable_functions="". after var_dump($output) starts to return an array check for errors in array to eliminate further errors like correct path to php.

use this to eliminate some other possibilities:

$output="just before exec";
var_dump($output);
exec('php -l /path/to/file.php', $output);
var_dump($output);

p.s. may be used like

echo exec('php -l /path/to/file.php');

Upd: Updated question shows exec works. It may be your *nix like platform hides the error output. a way to redirect it to add to the command 2>&1 it will redirect error output into standard output

$to_run = '/path/to/bin/php -l /path/to/file 2>&1';
$output ="" ; //init
var_dump(exec($to_run, $output));

if you have root access on the platform you may even use tools like strace to debug some complicated cases.

'/path/to/bin/strace -o/path/to/strace.log php -l /path/to/file.php'

UPD: var_dump(exec('php -l ' . FILE .' 2>&1', $output)); // error redirection for a unix platform

edited Aug 13, 2014 at 12:20

answered Feb 6, 2014 at 11:33

Konstantin Ivanov

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2 Comments

Steve Robbins Over a year ago

I've tried this an updated my question. It's still not working.

Konstantin Ivanov Over a year ago

var_dump(exec('php -l ' . FILE .' 2>&1', $output)); // error redirection for a unix platform

eduardomozart · Accepted Answer · 2023-02-09 23:18:49Z

2

Here's a Unix bash script you could use to syntax check all .php files in folder and subfolder:

find . -iname '*.php' -exec php -l '{}' \; | grep '^No syntax errors' -v  | less

Source: https://gist.github.com/Fake51/865603

answered Feb 9, 2023 at 23:18

eduardomozart

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Comments

Behiry · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-14 08:07:48Z

1

To check many php files, you can save this code as a batch file and execute it:

echo php files error check report >output.txt
for /r %%i in (*.php) do ( echo. & php -l %%i  )  >>output.txt
start "" "output.txt"

Save it as "check.bat" (for example) in the php files directory and execute it.

answered Dec 14, 2017 at 8:07

Behiry

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Comments

automatix · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-06 08:33:01Z

0

You can do that with lint running PHP with the -l parameter on the command line:

test.php:

<?php
phpinfo()

result:

$ php -l test.php
PHP Parse error:  syntax error, unexpected end of file in test.php on line 2
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected end of file in test.php on line 2
Errors parsing test.php

test.php

<?php
phpinfo();

result:

$ php -l test.php
No syntax errors detected in test.php

answered Oct 6, 2016 at 8:33

automatix

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