Why PHP 4.4.9 throws 'Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STATIC'?

Question

I just realized the professor Google is unable to present a specific page where I can find out, when static keyword added to PHP 4. Though following the change log for php 4 I can see that it was available since Version 4.0.6 (or before) but why does it throws:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STATIC, expecting T_OLD_FUNCTION or T_FUNCTION or T_VAR or '}' in {FILE_PATH+LINE#}

for a simple code as follows:

class myClass
{
    static $_debug = true;
}

Or this assignment of class-variable was introduced in earlier versions of PHP?

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure static class variables are new to PHP5, so can't be used in PHP4.

Here's the deal: PHP4 can use the static keyword in functions, not classes. The only PHP4 usage of static was like this:

function howManyTimes() {
    static $count = 0;
    echo "Function has been called $count times.";
    $count++;
}

That variable is bound to the function's scope forever. That's how PHP4 interprets static. The PHP5 interpretation you are trying to use is not available in your current PHP version. Sorry!