[Resolved] PHP failing on if statement - Need 2nd opinion

AstroTeg

In the following snippet of code, I get this PHP error:

Parse error: parse error in /home/[username]/public_html/contact.php on line 1

What has been bugging me for 3 hours was this script had worked at one time. If I yank out the if() else block, I get no errors. I put the if() back in and make something simple like if($a == true) (I set $a to true or false before hand) I get this parse error. I'm thinking its a server config issue at this point. Its PHP v4.2.3 w/globals enabled. I do have access to php.ini and can recompile Apache/PHP if need be.

Help?

Here's the code in question:

include_once('include/display.php');

head('contact', 'Contact');

$form = $_POST;
if($form['Action'] == 'submit')
{
	$form['error'] = ValidateForm($form);
	if($form['error'] == '')
	{
		SendEmail($form);
		ShowComplete();
	}  // end if($form['error'] == '')
	else
		ShowForm($form);
}  // end if($form['Action'] == 'submit')
else
	ShowForm($form);

foot();

This would work:

include_once('include/display.php');

head('contact', 'Contact');

$form = $_POST;
ShowForm($form);

foot();

This has me really really stumped. Its possible I've been looking at it too long so any thoughts would be appreciated.

Weedpacket

What's bugging me is that the error message claims a parse error on line 1. I don't get any for the posted code (surprise!) and I don't see how taking out an if statement further down would change such an error anyway (I did entertain the possibility that it was display.php that was blowing things up somehow, but nah...).

Me stumped too.

AstroTeg

Well, I've narrowed the problem down to the braces '{' and '}' around the if statement.

I can do this:

if($form['Action'] == '')
	echo 'Empty';

That works as advertised. But if I do this:

if($form['Action'] == '')
{
	echo 'Empty';
}

I get the parse error. UGH!

AstroTeg

Eh... Maybe ignore that last post. I swapped the '{' to a more traditional locaiton - on the same line as the if() and the script worked. I put the '{' back to where I've had it all this time and the script so far is still working (either that or my browser is doing a fine job caching).

Weedpacket

Originally posted by AstroTeg
Eh... Maybe ignore that last post. I swapped the '{' to a more traditional locaiton - on the same line as the if() and the script worked. I put the '{' back to where I've had it all this time and the script so far is still working (either that or my browser is doing a fine job caching).

Agh, that's too weird :mad:. You sure you were working on the right copy of the file? :rolleyes:
(Maybe a stray semicolon got onto the end of the if statement at some stage so that it read if(...);{...}? Then the else would have been a parse error ... but that's not on line 1 .... )

AstroTeg

Ack! Found the problem...

The file format was in Mac CR/LF mode. I switched it to PC flavor. Uploaded the file and presto: it works great!

bang head here

As I was modifying the file, I was shuffling around the CR/LFs (without knowing it). The client uses a Mac and its possible he had downloaded and then uploaded the file but in Mac mode. Or if I managed to toggle Edit+ to Mac mode. Either way, the server I'm on doesn't like Mac CR/LFs. Note to self for the next time.

Now if I can only get those 3 hours back that I wasted on this problem...

Thanks to all who read my post.