How to check PHP syntax using the command line

John John (304)
1 minute

If you're using PHP for web development, you may often want to check the syntax of your file without opening it in a browser. Checking syntax is quite easy from the command line.

Visit this guide to learn how to check your PHP version.

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If you're on a Mac you can open Terminal which is located in:

Applications/Utilities

You can navigate to your project folder by using the change directory or cd command followed by the directory. For me it is: cd /Users/josephtylerjones/Developer/scripts/

Now you can check the syntax of your script by running php -l followed by the file name. For me it is:

php -l testfile.php
This command will detect any syntax errors in your script!

John John (304)
1 minute

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