A file contains invalid PHP.
WHAT IT MEANS
PHP could not read the file at all. Nothing runs.
The error names the file and the line.
THE COMMON CAUSES
A recent edit introduced a mistake: a missing semicolon, an unclosed brace, an unmatched quote
Code pasted from a website that included smart quotes instead of straight ones An incomplete file upload Copying a snippet that included the opening PHP tag into a file that already had one
THE FIX
Open the named file and look at the line given, and the lines immediately before it.
The error frequently appears on the line after the actual mistake, since that is where PHP notices.
IF YOU JUST EDITED IT
Restore your backup copy. This is why copying the file before editing matters.
IF YOU PASTED A SNIPPET
Check for curly quotation marks. Text editors and websites substitute them, and PHP rejects them.
Retype the quotes.
CHECKING WITHOUT RUNNING
Over SSH, php -l against the file reports syntax errors without executing it.
Do this before reloading a site after editing.
