wrong line numbers reported for parse errors?

anorakgirl

Hi,
I've just installed PHP on a Mac, and am finding it really difficult to debug code because when there is a parse error it doesn't report the right line number, and I have to add obvious mistakes to work out which line number it means. For exampek just now it says there is a parse error on line 73, but it is actually on line 90 - although it isn't always the same number of extra lines down.

I'm using PHP 4.3.4, Apache/1.3.26, Mac OS 10.2.

I'd be really greatful if anyone can suggest anything as it makes debugging a nightmare! Thanks

Weedpacket

It's a bit hard to say, without knowing the precise statement of the error; some offending code might help as well.

PHP can only report an error when it detects one. The error might occur earlier, but if it still looks like valid code (a missing }, for example), then PHP has no way of recognising a problem until it gets stuck. That's when (and where) it reports the error.

anorakgirl

Thanks for the reply - i know what you mean but that isn't what I'm talking about.

It happens for every error, not one specific one, and it behaves differently to the PHP I have running on my PC, which reports the right line number.

For example if I have a page of code that works, then type "gibberish" on line 28, between two lines of code that do work, it will report something like parse error on line 13, which is nowhere near - and is BEFORE the line with the error, not AFTER as it would be in the situation you describe. I don't know if the Mac one isn't counting the lines of HTML between the PHP or something like that, but its very misleading!

Cheers anyway.

Weedpacket

Oh, okay. Hm. I note you're using a PC as well; are you transferring files back and forth between the two machines? Maybe there are issues with the characters used for linebreaks in the files. I've never coded on Macs, but I long ago adopted the convention of always using Unix-style linebreaks on both Windows PCs and Un*x boxen.

Sorry I can't be much more than speculative help there.

TheDefender

Also, it will help you tremendously to find an IDE that color codes php for you, to run on your MAC. When you find one you like, and get used to it, you will be able to find and correct those type of errors very easily, just by the color coding...