PHP Error Handling error_get_last() Function

---

---

The PHP Error Handling error_get_last() function is used to get the most recent error encountered during the script's execution. It provides information on the error of an array.

The error type, message, file, and line number are all included in this array. If there was not an error, NULL will be returned. This function speeds up the process of finding and fixing errors in your code.

Syntax

Below is the syntax of the PHP Error Handling error_get_last() function −

array error_get_last()

Parameters

This function does not accepts any parameter.

Return Value

The error_get_last() function returns an associative array indicating the most recent error, with keys "type", "message", "file", and "line". If the problem was caused by a PHP internal function, the "message" will begin with its name. Returns null if no errors have occurred.

PHP Version

First introduced in core PHP 5.2.0, the error_get_last() function continues to function easily in PHP 7, and PHP 8.

Example 1

First we will show you the basic example of the PHP Error Handling error_get_last() function works by creating a basic error, such as using an undefined variable. After generating the error, the function collects the error data.

<?php
   // Trigger a warning 
   echo $undefinedVar;

   // Get the last error details
   $error = error_get_last();

   // Display the error array
   print_r($error);
?>

Output

Here is the outcome of the following code −

Array
(
   [type] => 2
   [message] => Undefined variable $undefinedVar
   [file] => /Users/abc/Desktop/PHP/PhpProjects/index.php
   [line] => 10
)

Example 2

This program shows how to use the error_get_last() function to handle errors caused by file operations, like trying to access a file which is not present. It retrieves the last error if the procedure fails.

<?php
   // Try to open a non existent file
   $file = fopen("/PHP/PhpProjects/file_not_present.txt", "r");

   // Get and display the last error
   if ($file === false) {
      $error = error_get_last();
      echo "Error: " . $error['message'];
   }
?> 

Output

This will generate the below output −

Error: fopen("/PHP/PhpProjects/file_not_present.txt"): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory

Example 3

This program creates a customized situation in which a division by zero error occurs. The error_get_last() function retrieves error information and shows it in a user-friendly format.

<?php
   // Perform a division by zero to trigger a warning
   $result = 10 / 0;

   // Get and display the last error
   $error = error_get_last();
   if ($error) {
      echo "Error Type: " . $error['type'] . "\n";
      echo "Error Message: " . $error['message'] . "\n";
   }
?> 

Output

This will create the below output −

Warning: Division by zero in /Users/abc/Desktop/PHP/PhpProjects/index.php:10
Error Type: 2
Error Message: Division by zero