diff --git a/PHPExcel/Reader/Excel5/Escher.php b/PHPExcel/Reader/Excel5/Escher.php
index 3ed82c6..4278ede 100644
--- a/PHPExcel/Reader/Excel5/Escher.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/Reader/Excel5/Escher.php
@@ -250,16 +250,16 @@ class PHPExcel_Reader_Excel5_Escher
 		$foDelay = PHPExcel_Reader_Excel5::_GetInt4d($recordData, 28);
 
 		// offset: 32; size: 1; unused1
-		$unused1 = ord($recordData{32});
+		$unused1 = ord($recordData[32]);
 
 		// offset: 33; size: 1; size of nameData in bytes (including null terminator)
-		$cbName = ord($recordData{33});
+		$cbName = ord($recordData[33]);
 
 		// offset: 34; size: 1; unused2
-		$unused2 = ord($recordData{34});
+		$unused2 = ord($recordData[34]);
 
 		// offset: 35; size: 1; unused3
-		$unused3 = ord($recordData{35});
+		$unused3 = ord($recordData[35]);
 
 		// offset: 36; size: $cbName; nameData
 		$nameData = substr($recordData, 36, $cbName);
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Reader_Excel5_Escher
 		}
 
 		// offset: var; size: 1; tag
-		$tag = ord($recordData{$pos});
+		$tag = ord($recordData[$pos]);
 		$pos += 1;
 
 		// offset: var; size: var; the raw image data
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Reader_Excel5_Escher
 		}
 
 		// offset: var; size: 1; tag
-		$tag = ord($recordData{$pos});
+		$tag = ord($recordData[$pos]);
 		$pos += 1;
 
 		// offset: var; size: var; the raw image data
diff --git a/PHPExcel/Shared/OLE.php b/PHPExcel/Shared/OLE.php
index 9796282..b3268f5 100644
--- a/PHPExcel/Shared/OLE.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/Shared/OLE.php
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Shared_OLE
 				$pps = new PHPExcel_Shared_OLE_PPS_File($name);
 				break;
 			default:
-				continue;
+				break;
 			}
 			fseek($fh, 1, SEEK_CUR);
 			$pps->Type    = $type;
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Shared_OLE
 	{
 		$rawname = '';
 		for ($i = 0; $i < strlen($ascii); ++$i) {
-			$rawname .= $ascii{$i} . "\x00";
+			$rawname .= $ascii[$i] . "\x00";
 		}
 		return $rawname;
 	}
diff --git a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Parser.php b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Parser.php
index 04e674a..1a00c50 100644
--- a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Parser.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Parser.php
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser
 		$col    = 0;
 		$col_ref_length = strlen($col_ref);
 		for ($i = 0; $i < $col_ref_length; ++$i) {
-			$col += (ord($col_ref{$i}) - 64) * pow(26, $expn);
+			$col += (ord($col_ref[$i]) - 64) * pow(26, $expn);
 			--$expn;
 		}
 
@@ -1043,21 +1043,21 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser
 		$formula_length = strlen($this->_formula);
 		// eat up white spaces
 		if ($i < $formula_length) {
-			while ($this->_formula{$i} == " ") {
+			while ($this->_formula[$i] == " ") {
 				++$i;
 			}
 
 			if ($i < ($formula_length - 1)) {
-				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula{$i+1};
+				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula[$i+1];
 			}
 			$token = '';
 		}
 
 		while ($i < $formula_length) {
-			$token .= $this->_formula{$i};
+			$token .= $this->_formula[$i];
 
 			if ($i < ($formula_length - 1)) {
-				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula{$i+1};
+				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula[$i+1];
 			} else {
 				$this->_lookahead = '';
 			}
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser
 			}
 
 			if ($i < ($formula_length - 2)) {
-				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula{$i+2};
+				$this->_lookahead = $this->_formula[$i+2];
 			} else { // if we run out of characters _lookahead becomes empty
 				$this->_lookahead = '';
 			}
@@ -1205,7 +1205,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Parser
 	{
 		$this->_current_char = 0;
 		$this->_formula      = $formula;
-		$this->_lookahead    = isset($formula{1}) ? $formula{1} : '';
+		$this->_lookahead    = isset($formula[1]) ? $formula[1] : '';
 		$this->_advance();
 		$this->_parse_tree   = $this->_condition();
 		return true;
diff --git a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Workbook.php b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Workbook.php
index e14bcba..8f31098 100644
--- a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Workbook.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Workbook.php
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Workbook extends PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_BIFFwriter
 					$formulaData = $this->_parser->toReversePolish();
 
 					// make sure tRef3d is of type tRef3dR (0x3A)
-					if (isset($formulaData{0}) and ($formulaData{0} == "\x7A" or $formulaData{0} == "\x5A")) {
+					if (isset($formulaData[0]) and ($formulaData[0] == "\x7A" or $formulaData[0] == "\x5A")) {
 						$formulaData = "\x3A" . substr($formulaData, 1);
 					}
 
diff --git a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Worksheet.php b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Worksheet.php
index 55da26f..bf2311f 100644
--- a/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Worksheet.php
+++ b/PHPExcel/Writer/Excel5/Worksheet.php
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ class PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_Worksheet extends PHPExcel_Writer_Excel5_BIFFwriter
 		$unknown	= 0x0000;			// Must be zero
 
 		// Strip the '=' or '@' sign at the beginning of the formula string
-		if ($formula{0} == '=') {
+		if ($formula[0] == '=') {
 			$formula = substr($formula,1);
 		} else {
 			// Error handling