PHP "parse error, expecting `T_STRING' " - Please help with code

Question

I'm trying to build a dynamic php site using MVC principles. I'm using WAMP on Win XP.

Here's the code:

Index.php:

<?php
  require_once("User.php");
  session_start();
  include ("Header.php");
  include ("Footer.php");
?>

Header.php:

<?php
  echo '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>'
?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">
<head>
  <title><?php echo "temp"; ?></title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" media="screen" type="text/css" title="StyleSheetProjet" href="StyleSheetProjet.css" />
</head>
<body>
  <div class="connectionStatus">
    <?php
    ?>
  </div>

Footer.php:

</body>
</html>

User.php:

<?php
  class User {
    private $userName;
    private $hashedPassword;
    private $firstName;
    private $lastName;
    private $userEmail;

    function $getUserName() {
      return $this->userName;
    }
  }
?>

This code causes a php error on line 9 of User.php, i.e., at the get function declaration. The error message is:

Parse error: parse error, expecting `T_STRING' in C:\wamp\www\Projet\User.php on line 9

Help would be very much appreciated....

Thanks,

JDelage

codaddict · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-05 07:12:48Z

4

function $getUserName()

should be

function getUserName()

After the function keyword, PHP expects a whitespace followed by an identifier(function name). But in your case it finds a variable and this causes a parse error.

Internally an identifier is called T_STRING and a variable is called T_VARIABLE. Some PHP interpreters throw:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_VARIABLE, expecting T_STRING ....

Others, as in your case just say:

Parse error: parse error, expecting `T_STRING' ....

edited Sep 5, 2010 at 7:12

answered Sep 5, 2010 at 7:04

codaddict

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Comments

Ondrej Slinták · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-05 07:01:47Z

3

You have typo in your function name. Currently it's $getUserName where it should be getUserName (without $).

answered Sep 5, 2010 at 7:01

Ondrej Slinták

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Comments

Bill Karwin · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-05 07:02:45Z

3

You can't use variable substitution when declaring functions.

This:

function $getUserName()

should be this:

function getUserName()

answered Sep 5, 2010 at 7:02

Bill Karwin

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Comments

Tim · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-05 07:20:21Z

3

function~~$~~getUserName()

edited Sep 5, 2010 at 7:20

answered Sep 5, 2010 at 7:02

Tim

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Comments

aviv · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-05 07:02:50Z

2

Function names does not need $ sign at the beginning.

Do it like that:

function getUserName() {
  return $this->userName;
}

answered Sep 5, 2010 at 7:02

aviv

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