What does this mean? "Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM"
PhpPhp Problem Overview
T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM sounds really exotic, but most certainly absolutely nonsense to me. I traced it all down to this lines of code:
<?php
Class Context {
protected $config;
public function getConfig($key) { // Here's the problem somewhere...
$cnf = $this->config;
return $cnf::getConfig($key);
}
function __construct() {
$this->config = new Config();
}
}
?>
In the constructor I create a Config object. Here's the class:
final class Config {
private static $instance = NULL;
private static $config;
public static function getConfig($key) {
return self::$config[$key];
}
public static function getInstance() {
if (!self::$instance) {
self::$instance = new Config();
}
return self::$instance;
}
private function __construct() {
// include configuration file
include __ROOT_INCLUDE_PATH . '/sys/config/config.php'; // defines a $config array
$this->config = $config;
}
}
No idea why this doesnt work / what the error means...
Php Solutions
Solution 1 - Php
T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM is the double colon scope resolution thingy PHP uses - ::
Quick glance at your code, I think this line:
return $cnf::getConfig($key);
should be
return $cnf->getConfig($key);
The first is the way to call a method statically - this code would be valid if $cnf contained a string that was also a valid class. The -> syntax is for calling a method on an instance of a class/object.
Solution 2 - Php
Just my two cents for future visitors who have this problem.
This is the correct syntax for PHP 5.3, for example if you call static method from the class name:
MyClassName::getConfig($key);
If you previously assign the ClassName to the $cnf variable, you can call the static method from it (we are talking about PHP 5.3):
$cnf = MyClassName;
$cnf::getConfig($key);
However, this sintax doesn't work on PHP 5.2 or lower, and you need to use the following:
$cnf = MyClassName;
call_user_func(array($cnf, "getConfig", $key, ...otherposibleadditionalparameters... ));
Hope this helps people having this error in 5.2 version (don't know if this was openfrog's version).
Solution 3 - Php
The error is down to an "inappropriate use" of the double colon operator:
return $cnf::getConfig($key);
as by using the :: you're attempting to call a static method of the class itself. In your example you want to call a non-static method on an instantiated object.
I think what you want is:
return $cnf->getConfig($key);
Solution 4 - Php
In your example
return $cnf::getConfig($key)
Probably should be:
return $cnf->getConfig($key)
And make getConfig not static
Solution 5 - Php
if you still need to use the double-colon then make sure your on PHP 5.3+
Solution 6 - Php
According to wikipedia, it means a "double colon" scope resolution operator.
Solution 7 - Php
It's the name for the :: operator
Solution 8 - Php
For anyone using Laravel. I was having the same error on Laravel 7.0. The error looked like this
syntax error, unexpected '::' (T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM), expecting ';' or ','
It was in my Routes\web.php file, which looked like this
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use // this was an extra **use** statement that gave me the error
Route::get('/', function () {
return view('save-online.index');
})->name('save-online.index');