Check a PHP file for syntax errors -

i'm attempting build auditing feature application check various code quality issues.

one of things check php files syntax errors. going use php_check_syntax() has been removed in php 5.0.5.

i've tried using exec() statements isn't outputting anything. i've added date make sure exec() working:

<?php  error_reporting(e_all | e_notice | e_strict | e_warning); ini_set('display_errors', 1);  $output = 'before'; var_dump($output); var_dump(exec('php -l ' . __file__, $output)); var_dump($output); var_dump(exec('date', $output)); var_dump($output); 

output:

string 'before' (length=6) string '' (length=0) array (size=0)   empty string 'thu feb  6 10:42:35 pst 2014' (length=28) array (size=1)   0 => string 'thu feb  6 10:42:35 pst 2014' (length=28) 

how can check php file syntax errors in php?

check web-server configuration. places this: disable_functions="". after var_dump($output) starts return array check errors in array eliminate further errors correct path php.

use eliminate other possibilities:

$output="just before exec"; var_dump($output); exec('php -l /path/to/file.php', $output); var_dump($output); 

p.s. may used

echo exec('php -l /path/to/file.php'); 

upd: updated question shows exec works. may *nix platform hides error output. way redirect add command 2>&1 redirect error output standard output

$to_run = '/path/to/bin/php -l /path/to/file 2>&1'; $output ="" ; //init var_dump(exec($to_run, $output)); 

if have root access on platform may use tools strace debug complicated cases.

'/path/to/bin/strace -o/path/to/strace.log php -l /path/to/file.php' 

upd: var_dump(exec('php -l ' . file .' 2>&1', $output)); // error redirection unix platform