Description:
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If I have a script with a syntax error, such as a missing '}' somewhere, PHP will helpfully tell me that there's a problem, but direct me to look in the wrong place.

The error message is as follows:
   Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in [FILENAME] at 
   [NUMBER_OF_LAST_LINE]

This is unhelpful for 2 reasons.

 * It isn't clear what type of syntax error would cause this - there's no way to know what character PHP was expecting to see. 

 * I have no easy way of finding the offending line where the bug really lies, apart from commenting out parts of the source and doing a binary-search within it. Essentially, PHP is saying "You have an error, but I won't tell you where".



Expected result:
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The following would be clearer and *far* more helpful.

  Syntax error: unexpected $end in [FILENAME] at LINENUM: missing
  an expected '}' character. (The corresponding, unmatched '{' is
  probably at line xxx.)



Of course, it's not always possible for PHP to know which open-brace is the unmatched one - however, it could usually take a reasonable best guess by iterating *backwards* through the source, and doing:
 
 1  $nest_depth=0
 2  If a '}' is encountered, $nest_depth++
 3  If a '{' is encountered, $nest_depth-- 
 4  If $nest_depth == -1, we have located the open-brace that isn't  
    closed. Print LINENUM.