Encoding declaration pragma must be

Description

The declare(encoding = ...) pragma sets the source encoding PHP uses to parse the rest of the script, so, like strict_types, it has to be known before anything else in the file is compiled. It must therefore be the very first statement in the script, exactly like the strict_types declaration.

The full message reads: Encoding declaration pragma must be the very first statement in the script. In practice, this directive only has an effect when the zend.multibyte ini setting is enabled; otherwise it is silently ignored, but the placement rule is still enforced.

Example

<?php

echo 'Hello';

declare(encoding = 'ISO-8859-1');

?>

Literal Examples

• Encoding declaration pragma must be the very first statement in the script

Solutions

• Move the declare(encoding = ...) statement to be the very first statement in the file.

• Remove any characters or statements placed before the opening <?php tag.

Related Error Messages

• strict_types declaration must be the very first statement in the script

• Namespace declaration statement has to be

• declare(%s) value must be a literal

Changed Behavior

This error may appear following an evolution in behavior, in previous versions. See ` <https://php-changed-behaviors.readthedocs.io/en/latest/behavior/.html>`_.