eval() Without Try
The eval() command throws an error in case of unparsable PHP code. This error can be caught, to handle gracefully the situation, with a try-catch structure.
It is recommended to always use try-catch when dealing with eval().
It is possible to differentiate a parse error in the host code from a parse error in the eval() string with the error message: when it is in the eval() string, the error message mention eval: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected identifier "a" in file.ph : eval()'d code on line 1.
PHP code
<?php
try {
eval('A = 1');
} catch (Error $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
?>
Before
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '='
After
syntax error, unexpected token "="
PHP version change
This behavior changed in 7.0.