Why does my SQL string cause a "Error Message: Parse error: syntax error" in PHP?

Question

This code keeps erroring.

Error Message: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ENCAPSED_AND_WHITESPACE, expecting T_STRING or T_VARIABLE or T_NUM_STRING in /home/soulz/public_html/inbox.php on line 19

Here is the code:

mysql_query("UPDATE `messages` SET message_title = '[NO SUBJECT]' WHERE `message_id`=$row['message_id']");

NullUserException · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-05 15:12:11Z

3

Use curly braces:

mysql_query("UPDATE `messages` SET message_title = '[NO SUBJECT]' 
             WHERE `message_id`={$row['message_id']}");

answered Sep 5, 2011 at 15:12

NullUserException

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4 Comments

Kerrek SB Over a year ago

Hehe, so much for the "more elaborate syntax" :-) +1

HBublitz Over a year ago

This propably works. But how "nice" can it be, if we have trouble reading such a simple piece of code? $messageId = (int)$row['message_id']; --> use $messageId var in SQL... or merge SQL and $row['message_id'] by using sprintf();

NullUserException Over a year ago

@HBublitz I have no trouble at all reading this. In fact, I find it more readable than using sprintf()

HBublitz Over a year ago

Excuse me, you're obvoiusly used to that way and I don't doubt you're working fine with it. Nevertheless I would like to recommend always assuming more than one solution - especially when someone is not used to any of them yet. I prefer clear assignments and strings without functionality.

Kerrek SB · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-05 15:10:45Z

2

Don't put apostrophes around the field name:

mysql_query("UPDATE `messages` SET message_title = '[NO SUBJECT]'
             WHERE `message_id`=$row[message_id]");
                                     ^^^^^^^^^^

Inside quoted strings, you cannot use additional quotation marks for array field names. There's an alternative, more elaborate syntax involving braces if you have a very complicated array expression, but you don't need that here.

answered Sep 5, 2011 at 15:10

Kerrek SB

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2 Comments

NullUserException Over a year ago

This strikes me as a bit odd; they don't recommend you to write $foo[bar] but inside quoted strings it's OK. Hmmm...

Kerrek SB Over a year ago

There's no choice: Outside strings you have to write $foo["bar"] or $foo['bar'], inside strings you must not (except for inside the braces).

Lashae · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-05 15:17:24Z

0

It seems message_id is integer, so you can fix that error with a best practice.

mysql_query("UPDATE `messages` SET message_title = '[NO SUBJECT]'
             WHERE `message_id`=" . intval($row['message_id']));

You can use strval() for strings. Both functions are detailed in intval() manual page and strval() manual page.

answered Sep 5, 2011 at 15:17

Lashae

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