Wrong error message regarding HEREDOC indentation level limits #5501

Activity

1. MaximePinot commented on Apr 20, 2026

   

   MaximePinot

   on Apr 20, 2026

   More actions

   To me, both the example's title and the PHP error are correct here.

   Example 3 Closing identifier must not be indented further than any lines of the body

   This is correct. If the closing identifier is not "indented further than any lines of the body", than means that the indentation level of one or more lines is lower than the indentation level of the closing identifier.

   OK ✅	KO ❌
   <?php echo <<<END a // at column 2 b // at column 3 c // at column 4 END; // at column 1, *not* indented further than any lines of the body	<?php echo <<<END a // at column 2 b // at column 7 c // at column 4 END; // at column 4, *is* indented further than the first line

   Parse error: Invalid body indentation level (expecting an indentation level of at least x)

   This is correct. x is the column where the closing identifier starts.

   Closing identifier starts at column 2	Closing identifier starts at column 3	Closing identifier starts at column 3
   <?php echo <<<END test END; // column 2 = one indentation level	<?php echo <<<END test END; // column 3 = two indentation level	<?php echo <<<END test END; // column 4 = three indentation level
   Parse error: Invalid body indentation level (expecting an indentation level of at least 1)	Parse error: Invalid body indentation level (expecting an indentation level of at least 2)	Parse error: Invalid body indentation level (expecting an indentation level of at least 3)

   I agree that the example's title could be improved, though. As a non-native English speaker, it was not very clear to me either when I first read it.

   Perhaps, we could replace it with one of the followings?

   • The closing identifier must not be indented more than any lines of the body
   • The closing identifier must be at the same or lower indentation level as any lines of the body

   WDYT?
2. dan-software-engineer commented on Apr 22, 2026

   

   dan-software-engineer

   on Apr 22, 2026

   Last edited by dan-software-engineer

   Author

   More actions

   @MaximePinot thank you for the detailed commend and suggestions.

   I agree with you that an example title like the one you have suggested "The closing identifier must not be indented more than any lines of the body" is very clear and simple to understand for any non native-english speakers. That would be a nice improvement!

   however my main concern with this bug report was the php error message "Parse error: Invalid body indentation level (expecting an indentation level of at least 3)".

   the issue is that the expression "at least 3" means "minimum 3", which implies that any indentation level higher or equal to 3 is acceptable, for example an indentation level of 100 or 1000 would be acceptable according to this formulation, but that would be wrong in practice.

   so the correct wording needs to be the opposite - "at most 3" - not "at least 3", because "at most" means "maximum" (i.e. equal or lower), which in that error message would mean "expecting indentation level 0 or 1 or 2 or 3", all of which would be valid for that documentation example.

   to put it in mathematical terms, the error message says "expecting >=", but it should be the opposite "expecting <=".

   let me know if that makes sense, and let's see who can fix this the error message in the php source-code, not just in the documentation.

   thank you.
3. MaximePinot commented on Apr 22, 2026

   

   MaximePinot

   on Apr 22, 2026

   More actions

   I still think that the PHP error message is correct. 😇

   The PHP error message is about the “body” ("Invalid body indentation level" -- therefore the lines between the delimiters). It is correct to say that all lines of the body must have an "indentation level of at least 3" (>=) if the closing identifier starts at column 3.

   In other words: all lines of the body must have a higher or equal indentation level than the closing identifier.