diff --git a/binding/php/XdbSearcher.class.php b/binding/php/XdbSearcher.class.php
index ade4a87..d5292d7 100644
--- a/binding/php/XdbSearcher.class.php
+++ b/binding/php/XdbSearcher.class.php
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class XdbSearcher
             // read the segment index
             $buff = $this->read($p, self::SegmentIndexSize);
             if ($buff == null) {
-                throw new Exception("failed to read segment index at ${$p}");
+                throw new Exception("failed to read segment index at ${p}");
             }
 
             $sip = self::getLong($buff, 0);
@@ -296,16 +296,6 @@ class XdbSearcher
         return self::loadVectorIndex($handle);
     }
 
-    // load vector index from the specified buffer
-    public static function loadVectorIndexFromBuff($cBuff) {
-        $len = self::VectorIndexRows * self::VectorIndexCols * self::SegmentIndexSize;
-        if (strlen($cBuff) < (self::HeaderInfoLength + $len)) {
-            return null;
-        }
-
-        return substr($cBuff, self::HeaderInfoLength, $len);
-    }
-
     // load the xdb content from a file handle
     public static function loadContent($handle) {
         if (fseek($handle, 0, SEEK_END) == -1) {
diff --git a/binding/php/bench_test.php b/binding/php/bench_test.php
index b37d1e3..c651572 100644
--- a/binding/php/bench_test.php
+++ b/binding/php/bench_test.php
@@ -171,4 +171,4 @@ fclose($handle);
 $searcher->close();
 $cost = XdbSearcher::now() - $sTime;
 printf("Bench finished, {cachePolicy: %s, total: %d, took: %ds, cost: %.3f ms/op}\n",
-    $cachePolicy, $count, $cost/1000, $cost/$count);
\ No newline at end of file
+    $cachePolicy, $count, $cost/1000, $cost/$count);
diff --git a/binding/php/util_test.php b/binding/php/util_test.php
index a90271e..072753e 100644
--- a/binding/php/util_test.php
+++ b/binding/php/util_test.php
@@ -29,22 +29,6 @@ function testLoadVectorIndex() {
     printf("vector index loaded: length=%d\n", strlen($vIndex));
 }
 
-function testLoadVectorIndexFromBuff() {
-    $cBuff = XdbSearcher::loadContentFromFile('../../data/ip2region.xdb');
-    if ($cBuff == null) {
-        printf("failed to load content from file\n");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    $vIndex = XdbSearcher::loadVectorIndexFromBuff($cBuff);
-    if ($vIndex == null) {
-        printf("failed to load content from file\n");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    printf("vector index loaded, length=%d\n", strlen($vIndex));
-}
-
 function testLoadContent() {
     $cBuff = XdbSearcher::loadContentFromFile('../../data/ip2region.xdb');
     if ($cBuff == null) {
@@ -67,12 +51,6 @@ testLoadVectorIndex();
 printf("done, cost: %0.5f ms\n\n", XdbSearcher::now() - $now);
 
 
-printf("testing loadVectorIndexFromBuff ... \n");
-$now = XdbSearcher::now();
-testLoadVectorIndexFromBuff();
-printf("done, cost: %0.5f ms\n\n", XdbSearcher::now() - $now);
-
-
 printf("testing loadContent ... \n");
 $now = XdbSearcher::now();
 testLoadContent();