Is it a Bug or is it me ?

Hi all, I've installed php 4.0.3 pl1 yesterday in win98, im my server (LINUX) I have a 4.0.0 version and working just fine but this machine running win98 I have a strange error : if I write something like this : (this is part of a simple guestbook) if ($name . $message != "") { $date = date( "l, F j Y, h:i a"); ...... $name and $message will be given by a form in the same file I receive an error msg saying : Warning: Undefined variable: name in index.php3 on line 42 It would be ok if it also happened in my older version 3.0 and if it happened in my 4.0.0 linux server. BUT it only happens in the newest 4.0.3 so I must ask you all :) Is it a BUG or is it me ? or I'll must declare all variables ? fabiano