class def error

[anotherJEK]

Hello:
I am developing what I expect to be a standalone picture viewer app.
The following is the current state of the class def (php v5x)

<?php
class PIX_VIEWER
      {
       private static $_classPath = '/Library/WebServer/Documents/whitecloud/WC_php/'; // absolute path to this file
       private static $_common = 'WC_common.php'; // master list of departments and subdepartments.
       private static $_templates = array();      // css, js source markup templates & display markup templates
       private static $_targets = array();        // template string str_replace targets
       private static $_cssCommon = '';           // common css file path
       private static $_cssCommonFiles = array(); // list of common css files to source
       private static $_cssSpec = '';             // specific css file path
       private static $_cssSpecFiles = array();   // list of specific css files to source
       private static $_jsCommon = '';            // common js file path
       private static $_jsCommonFiles = array();  // list of common js files to source
       private static $_jsSpec = '';              // specific js file path
       private static $_jsSpecFiles = array();    // specific js files to source
       private static $_cssIds = array();         // contextual css/javascript id attribute values
       private static $_localFile = '';           // local temp file, depending on department
       private static $_localSections = array();  // local sections and subsections
       private static $_errors = '';              // error strings for __construct failures
       
       public function __construct($_subDep)
              {
               $this->subDep = $_subDep;
               if(file_exists(self::$_classPath.self::$_common))
                 {
                  require(self::$_classPath.self::$_common);
                  self::$_localFile = $_sectionsSrc[$this->subDep].'WC_template.php';
                  self::$_localSections = $_sections;
                  if(file_exists(self::$_localFile))
                    {
                     require_once(self::$_localFile);
                     self::$_templates = $_template;
                     self::$_targets = $_targetStrings;
                     self::$_cssCommon = $_CSS_commonSrcPath;
                     self::$_cssCommonFiles = $_CSS_commonFiles;
                     self::$_cssSpec = $_CSS_specSrcPath;
                     self::$_cssSpecFiles = $_CSS_specFiles;
                     self::$_jsCommon = $_JS_commonSrcPath;
                     self::$_jsCommonFiles = $_jsCommonFiles;
                     self::$_jsSpec = $_JS_specSrcPath;
                     self::$_jsSpecFiles = $_jsSpecFiles;
                     self::$_cssIds = $_cssIds;
                    }
                  else
                    {
                     self::$_errors .= 'local source file not found';
                    }
                 }
               else
                 {
                  self::$_errors .= 'Common source file not found:';
                 }
              }
              
       public function getCss()
              {
               /*
                string replace css src target for each item in css source file arrays.
                accumulate source markup strings
               */
               return $this->cssSrc;
              }
             
       public function getJs()
              {
               /*
                string replace js src target for each item in js source file arrays.
                accumulate source markup strings
               */
               return $this->jsSrc;
              }
              
       public function getMrkUp()
              {
               /*
                string replace markup target for each item in markup template.
               */
               return $this->mrkUp;
              }
      }
?>

In the following file, I am testing it for syntax errors and have encountered the error returned by php (as comment)

<?php
if(file_exists('WC_php/pixViewerApp.php'))
  {
   require('WC_php/pixViewerApp.php');
   $_test = new PIX_VIEWER('cat');
   print $_test.errors;
   // Catchable fatal error: Object of class PIX_VIEWER could not be converted to string in /Library/WebServer/Documents/whitecloud/tester.php on line 6
  }
?>

I am not sure why I am getting this error. Is it because of the array declarations as static variables?
I have taken this approach successfully in the past.
Thank you for time, attention, and thoughts.
JK

Um....PS, I'm sorry, I think I know why as I compose this and I don't know how to cancel the post.
self::$_errors is declared private, so I have to include a public method to retrieve the value.
Yuk, I am getting javascript syntax mixed up with php syntax.

print $_test.errors;

should be

print $_test->errors;