Magento undefined variable this in custom block template

Question

I have created a custom block and when I try to access a method from my block I get:

exception 'Exception' with message 'Notice: Undefined variable: this­ in /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/mag19/app/design/frontend/vish/default/template/Vish/sizecheck/sizecheck.phtml on line 2' in /Applications/XAMPP/xamppfiles/htdocs/mag19/app/code/core/Mage/Core/functions.php:232

My sizecheck.phtml:

    <?php
$products = $this­->igetText();
?>

<div id="product_list">
  <?php echo($products);?>
</div>

The block:

    <?php
class Vish_SizeCheck_Block_Size extends Mage_Core_Block_Template {
      public function igetText()
    {
        return "I am inside `" . get_class(). "` block and it is my first custom block ever !";
    }
}

config.xml:

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
  <modules>
    <Vish_SizeCheck>
      <version>0.0.1</version>
    </Vish_SizeCheck>
  </modules>
  <frontend>
       <routers>
          <sizecheck>
              <use>standard</use>
              <args>
                 <module>Vish_SizeCheck</module>
                 <frontName>sizechecker</frontName>
              </args>
           </sizecheck>
       </routers>
       <layout>
            <updates>
                <vish_sizecheck>
                    <file>sizecheck.xml</file>
                </vish_sizecheck>                
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </frontend>
  <global>
          <blocks>
      <vish_sizecheck>
        <class>Vish_SizeCheck_Block</class>
      </vish_sizecheck>
    </blocks>
    <models>
       <vish_sizecheck>
            <class>Vish_SizeCheck_Model</class>
        </vish_sizecheck>
    </models>
    <helpers>
      <sizecheck>
        <class>Vish_SizeCheck_Helper</class>
      </sizecheck>
    </helpers>
  </global>
</config>

my sizecheck.xml:

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout version="0.1.0">
    <sizecheck_index_index>
        <reference name="root">
            <action method="setTemplate"><template>page/1column.phtml</template></action>
        </reference>
        <reference name="content">
            <block type="core/template" name="sizecheck.form" as="sizecheck_form" template="Vish/sizecheck/form.phtml"/>
        </reference>
    </sizecheck_index_index>
</layout>

My block declaration in CMS Page:

{{block type="vish_sizecheck/size" name="sizecheck" template="Librex/sizecheck/sizecheck.phtml"}}

I can see the class is correctly inherited by:

echo get_class($this);

Answer 1

The solution was rather staring me in the face. Looking at the error,

'Notice: Undefined variable: this­ in...

It was not instantiating the variable $this, even though the line was set as:

 <?php
  $products = $this­->igetText();
 ?>

Debugging this line further it revealed there was a hidden character:

So, deleting this line and retyping the line got everything working.