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Fun error messages

Or, why I hate PHP.

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM in C:\websites\leadership-2.0\classes\SiteConfig.inc.php on line 68

Apparently that T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM means "scope resolution operator" which, in PHP land is a double colon (::). Why can't the error just say scope resolution error? Who was trying to be cute with this?

Blessings be to the great and devine wikipedia:

Paamayim Nekudotayim (פעמיים נקודתיים pronounced [paʔamajim nəkudotajim]) is the official name for the Scope Resolution Operator (::) in PHP. It means "twice colon" or "double colon" in Hebrew.

Nekudotayim (נקודתיים) means 'colon'; it comes from nekuda (IPA: [nəkuda]), 'point' or 'dot', and the dual suffix ayim (יים-), hence 'two points'. Similarly, the word paamayim (פעמיים) is derived by attaching the dual suffix to paam (IPA: [paʔam]) ('one time' or 'once'), thus yielding 'twice'.

The name was introduced in the Israeli-developed Zend Engine 0.5 used in PHP 3. Although it has been confusing to many developers, it is still being used in PHP 5.

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