Syntax Error with Laravel 5.5 and PHP 7.0.27 within Mail function

[kskrlin]

• Laravel Version: 5.5.32
• PHP Version: 7.0.27

Description:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '?', expecting variable
in
/vendor/symfony/css-selector/XPath/Extension/AttributeMatchingExtension.php

Steps To Reproduce:

It happens when I am trying to send an email using Mail::to()...

It doesn't happen with PHP 7.1.8.
How to fix this issue without downgrading Laravel version (with 5.4 worked, as I recall) or changing PHP (because this version is on shared server and I am unable to change it)

[laurencei]

Did it give a line number?

Are you sure your running PHP7? That error looks alot like PHP5.6 trying to run PHP7 code...

[kskrlin]

Yes, it is 7.0.27.
The error is occurred on lines: 46, 51, 56
?string $value
this new nullable type syntax is introduced since php 7.1, but Laravel 5.5 requires at least 7.0, not 7.1, hence the issue...

[laurencei]

ping @GrahamCampbell - your the composer expert 😄 .

[laurencei]

actually - @kikky7 - did you run composer install on the PHP7.1 system, then copy this to a PHP7.0 system?

Because technically the composer.json of css-selector has a restraint of PHP7.1 - so you shouldnt get that version anyway. You need to run composer update on 7.0 to get the right versions.

[kskrlin]

Composer packages are only installed and updated locally on 7.1 and copied to server, where is 7.0.
I ran fresh composer install and still getting css-selector with 7.1 syntax.

I will manage to get 7.1 on server, but it would be nice to have some other solution also.

[laurencei]

Composer packages are only installed and updated locally on 7.1 and copied to server, where is 7.0.

Yeah - you cant do this. The problem is composer is installing packages that need PHP 7.1 - because you are running PHP7.1.

If you want to run on PHP7.0- then you must run composer update (not install) on the PHP7.0 machine, and it will handle it correctly for you.

[GrahamCampbell]

You need to use the platform config to lock to the version of php you want to use:

{
    ...
    "config": {
        "platform": {
            "php": "7.0.27"
        },
    ...
    },
    ...
}

[GrahamCampbell]

That way, when you generate a lock file on a newer version of php, your dependencies will still work on php 7.0.27.

[GrahamCampbell]

You can also require "symfony/lts": "^3.0", to stop composer from resolving any symfony 4 dependencies. It'll make it resolve 3.4 LTS.

[nathanpurcell]

As far as I can see nullable types were only added to PHP in v7.1, but the required version is >=7.0.0
The issue appears to be with Symfony, but if Laravel 5.5 is a LTS version perhaps the PHP requirement should be updated to 7.1?

[devcircus]

See the above comments. The dependencies are correct.

[pixelzdesign]

@GrahamCampbell Where to put this "symfony/lts": "^3.0"?

[Rolice]

Some Symfony packages are incompatible (introduction of nullable concept in PHP) with PHP 7.0.
This means that Laravel 5.5 requires effectively PHP 7.1.

[laurencei]

@Rolice - no, because Composer will detect those packages and install PHP 7.0 equilivant for Symfony.

[Rolice]

It is strage as it is brand new Docker image with composer install and it breaks. Could be some version overlapping issue, though. I have used composer new project to create the project with specific version of Laravel.