0 - Using $this when not in object content

Question

I moved a website from server (PHP 5.6.38) to localhost (PHP 7.2.10). And I receive this error in the page title (in the chrome tab):

0 - Using $this when not in object content

While searching online I found that I have to replace all instances of JSite::getMenu() with JFactory::getApplication()->getMenu(), I did it with no luck. I changed the theme and the error dissapeared, so its probably something with the theme. I tried to edit the theme but I receive this error :

An error has occurred.

0 syntax error, unexpected '}', expecting elseif (T_ELSEIF) or else (T_ELSE) or endif (T_ENDIF)

Return to Control Panel

But there is no information where this error is.

I downloaded again the template files from server, replace the local ones but still get the same error, while on the live server there is no such error

EDIT

I enabled error_reporting and I get this error:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '}' in C:...\html\modules.php on line 64

The problem is that the file is identical with the one on the server and on the server I dont get any error...

Here is the code:

function modChrome_myCatMod($module, &$params, &$attribs)
{
    $moduleTag      = $params->get('module_tag', 'div');
    $headerTag      = htmlspecialchars($params->get('header_tag', 'h3'));
    $bootstrapSize  = (int) $params->get('bootstrap_size', 0);
    $moduleClass    = $bootstrapSize != 0 ? ' span' . $bootstrapSize : '';

    // Temporarily store header class in variable
    $headerClass    = $params->get('header_class');
    $headerClass    = ($headerClass) ? ' class="' . htmlspecialchars($headerClass) . '"' : '';

    if (!empty ($module->content)) : ?>
        <<?php echo $moduleTag; ?> class="moduletable<?php echo htmlspecialchars($params->get('moduleclass_sfx')) . $moduleClass; ?>" id="Mod<?php echo $module->id;?>">
            <?php if ((bool) $module->showtitle) : ?>
                <?php $com_content_categories = $params->get('com_content_categories'); if(!empty($com_content_categories)): 
                    $caturl = ContentHelperRoute::getCategoryRoute ( $com_content_categories[0] );
                ?>
                <<?php echo $headerTag . $headerClass . '>' ?><a href="<?php echo $caturl;?>"><?php  echo $module->title; ?></a></<?php echo $headerTag; ?>>                                                    
                <?php else : ?>             
                <<?php echo $headerTag . $headerClass . '>' . $module->title; ?></<?php echo $headerTag; ?>>                    
                <? endif;?>

            <?php endif; ?><?php echo $module->content; ?>
        </<?php echo $moduleTag; ?>>
    <?php endif; 
}     //////////////////////////////////error line

Answer 1

Don't quote me on this but I have a feeling it may be due to the mixing of curly braces and alternative syntax.

I've rewritten your modChrome using curly braces:

function modChrome_myCatMod($module, &$params, &$attribs)
{
    $moduleTag      = $params->get('module_tag', 'div');
    $headerTag      = htmlspecialchars($params->get('header_tag', 'h3'));
    $bootstrapSize  = (int) $params->get('bootstrap_size', 0);
    $moduleClass    = $bootstrapSize != 0 ? ' span' . $bootstrapSize : '';

    // Temporarily store header class in variable
    $headerClass    = $params->get('header_class');
    $headerClass    = ($headerClass) ? ' class="' . htmlspecialchars($headerClass) . '"' : '';

    if (!empty ($module->content))
    {
        echo '<' . $moduleTag . ' class="moduletable' . htmlspecialchars($params->get('moduleclass_sfx')) . $moduleClass . '" id="Mod' . $module->id . '">';
            if ((bool) $module->showtitle)
            {
                $com_content_categories = $params->get('com_content_categories');

                if (!empty($com_content_categories))
                {
                    $caturl = ContentHelperRoute::getCategoryRoute($com_content_categories[0]);
                    echo '<' . $headerTag . $headerClass . '><a href="' . $caturl . '">' . $module->title . '</a></' . $headerTag . '>';
                }
                else
                {
                    echo '<' . $headerTag . $headerClass . '>' . $module->title . '</' . $headerTag . '>';
                }

                }
            echo $module->content;
        echo '</' . $moduleTag . '>';
    }
}

Hope this solves the issue.

That said, if you have not provided the entire contents of this file in your question, I'd suggest doing so as the error may actually derive from a different line.