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Solving PHP Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected T_STRING, Expecting T_VARIABLE or '$'

M66 2025-06-17

Solving PHP Parse Error: Syntax Error, Unexpected T_STRING, Expecting T_VARIABLE or '$'

While writing PHP code, developers often encounter various types of errors. One common error is "Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting T_VARIABLE or '$'". This error usually means that an unexpected string has been encountered in the code, while PHP expects a variable name or the "$" symbol in that position.

This error typically arises due to the following common causes:

1. Incorrect Use of Strings

In PHP, strings should be enclosed in quotation marks (either single or double quotes). If a string is used without being enclosed in quotes in an assignment or function call, this error will occur. For example:

$name = John; // Incorrect, the string should be wrapped in quotes
echo $name;

The correct way is:

$name = "John"; // String enclosed in quotes
echo $name;

2. Incorrect Nested Quotes

When you need to include quotes inside a string, you can use different types of quotes to nest them. For example:

$message = "He said, "Hello World!"";
echo $message;

The above example incorrectly nests double quotes. The correct way to nest quotes should be:

$message = 'He said, "Hello World!"';
echo $message;

3. Missing Semicolon at the End

In PHP, every statement should end with a semicolon (;). If a semicolon is omitted, this error will occur. For example:

$name = "John" // Error, missing semicolon
echo $name;

The correct way is:

$name = "John"; // Add the semicolon
echo $name;

4. Forgetting to Use the “.” Operator for String Concatenation

In PHP, when you want to concatenate multiple strings, you must use the "." operator. If you forget to use it, the code will throw an error. For example:

$name = "John" "Doe"; // Error, forgot to use “.” for concatenation
echo $name;

The correct way is:

$name = "John" . "Doe"; // Use “.” for concatenation
echo $name;

The above examples show some of the common causes and solutions for the "Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting T_VARIABLE or '$'" error. When you encounter this error, you can check your code for issues related to quotation marks, semicolons, and string concatenation, and fix them accordingly.