I got a "Parse Error: Unexpected T_VARIABLE"... what should i do?

SharkAttack

I need some suggestions on what to try.

The server i am using is running PHP Version 4.3.0

I am getting this error:
Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in F:\wwwroot\news\update.php on line 5

Here is the code:

<?php
$password = "password"; // define user password
$filename = "message.txt"; // define the text filename

if ($_POST['change_text'] == "yes") { // if the button was pushed
$text = rtrim($text); // trim extra newline characters from the text
$text=stripslashes($text); // remove escape slashes from posted data
$file = fopen($filename, "w"); // open the text file
fputs($file, $text); // write the cleaned up text to the file
fclose($file); // close the text file
}

echo "<html>";
echo "\n<head>";
echo "\n<title>News Message</title>";
echo "\n</head>";
echo "\n<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">";

if ($POST['pw'] == $password) { // if the password is correct, display edit form
echo "\n<form action=\"".$SERVER['PHP_SELF']."\" method=\"post\">";
echo "\n<input type=hidden name=\"change_text\" value=\"yes\">";
echo "\n<input type=hidden name=\"pw\" value=\"$password\">";
echo "\n<table align=\"center\" width=\"590\"><tr><td>";
include($filename); // include the text, so you can see it in HTML
echo "\n</td></tr><tr><td align=\"center\">";
echo "\n<textarea cols=\"90\" rows=\"15\" name=\"text\">";
include($filename); // include the text in textarea box
echo "\n</textarea>";
echo "\n<p><input type=submit value=\"Change Text\">";
echo "\n</td></tr></table>";
echo "\n</form>";
} else { // if pw is not correct, display the login form again
echo "\n<form action=\"".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."\" method=\"post\">";
echo "\nMessage Text: (Type in your password!)<br>";
echo "\n<table align=\"center\" width=\"590\"><tr><td align=\"center\">";
echo "\n<input type=password name=\"pw\">";
echo "\n<p><input type=submit name=change_message value=\"Enter Password\">";
echo "\n</td></tr></table>";
echo "\n</form>";
}
echo "\n</body>";
echo "\n</html>";
?>

SharkAttack

Guess i am just going to have to go back to my old script and turn Register_globals On. I dont know what else to do. 🙁

ir4z0r

really strange, I tried the script exactly as you posted,
I don't get any parse errors

I'm using 4.3.1 with reg_global OFF

SharkAttack

Wow.. weird. I tried it again and i am no longer getting that error. But now after i put in my password and go to the "Text edit" page, I get a blank screen when i try to change the text message.

it is supposed to just make the change .... but its deleting the entire .txt file and replacing it with a blank one.

i hope that makes sence..

ir4z0r

well, you started using $_POST, why don't you continue?

the $text var has been passed by the form, too
hence use $_POST['text'], else it's empty

another issue: imagine I create a hmtl form at home containing
a field change_text with value=yes and it points to your script ...

maybe you want to pass the password again in a hidden field
and check it before writing 😉

SharkAttack

I made some changes to the code:
(works like a charm now! Thanks!)

I will put the changes in BOLD......

<?php

$password = "password"; // define user password

$filename = "news.txt"; // define the text filename

if ($POST['change_text'] == "yes" && $POST['pw'] == $password) { // if the button was pushed

$text = $_POST['text'];
$text = rtrim($text); // trim extra newline characters from the text

$text=stripslashes($text); // remove escape slashes from posted data

$file = fopen($filename, "w"); // open the text file

fwrite($file, $text); // write the cleaned up text to the file

fclose($file); // close the text file

}

echo "<html>";

echo "\n<head>";

echo "\n<title>News Message</title>";

echo "\n</head>";

echo "\n<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">";

if ($POST['pw'] == $password) { // if the password is correct, display edit form

echo "\n<form action=\"".$SERVER['PHP_SELF']."\" method=\"post\">";

echo "\n<input type=hidden name=\"change_text\" value=\"yes\">";

echo "\n<input type=hidden name=\"pw\" value=\"$password\">";

echo "\n<table align=\"center\" width=\"590\"><tr><td>";

include($filename); // include the text, so you can see it in HTML

echo "\n</td></tr><tr><td align=\"center\">";

echo "\n<textarea cols=\"90\" rows=\"15\" name=\"text\">";

include($filename); // include the text in textarea box

echo "\n</textarea>";

echo "\n<p><input type=submit value=\"Change Text\">";

echo "\n</td></tr></table>";

echo "\n</form>";

} else { // if pw is not correct, display the login form again

echo "\n<form action=\"".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."\" method=\"post\">";

echo "\nMessage Text: (Type in your password!)<br>";

echo "\n<table align=\"center\" width=\"590\"><tr><td align=\"center\">";

echo "\n<input type=password name=\"pw\">";

echo "\n<p><input type=submit name=change_message value=\"Enter Password\">";

echo "\n</td></tr></table>";

echo "\n</form>";

}

echo "\n</body>";

echo "\n</html>";

?>