Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

**david** · Jul 17 '05, 12:46 AM

Re: Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Neil Strong wrote:
[color=blue]
> I'm getting an error message "Unidentifi ed Index" when reading posted
> variables from a form
>
> $x = $_POST['VariableName']
>
> I know I can use 'isset()' to check them first, but I'm curious as to why
> this works on some servers and not others......... Most of the servers I run
> it on just ignore the problem and result in the variable being assigned
> empty.
>
> I've tries on 3 different installations:
>
> 1 Linux ( No Error message)
> 1 Windows XP ( No Error message )
> 1 Windows 2000 ( Fails! )
>
> Is it a php.ini setting?[/color]

from: http://php.net/error_reporting

It seems that using E_NOTICE (included with E_ALL) is the only way to get
warnings about undefined variables. For example, if you type $soemthing
when you mean $something, you may not get any message about it unless you
use E_NOTICE level reporting.

The problem is, at that level of reporting you also get notices about array
indexes that have not been set. This means lots of warnings when using
$_GET['formvariable'] and such. You can check isset($_GET['formvariable'])
first, but that gets annoying, especially when it is redundant to stricter
input validation you need to do anyway.

The only solution I have found is to use set_error_handl er() to register a
custom error reporting function to report everything except where the error
string starts with "Undefined index:". Then I call error_reporting (E_ALL).
This seems to be the best compromise.

function error_handler($ errno, $errstr, $errfile, $errline, $errctx) {
if ($errno == E_NOTICE && substr($errstr, 0, 17) == "Undefined index:
") return;
echo "\nerror_handle r:\n\terrno=$er rno\n\terrstr=$ errstr\n";
echo "\terrfile=$err file\n\terrline =$errline\n";
if ($errno & (E_ERROR | E_CORE_ERROR | E_COMPILE_ERROR | E_USER_ERROR))
die();
}
set_error_handl er("error_handl er");
error_reporting (E_ALL);

checks the others comments too...

Regards

--
David

**Steve** · Jul 17 '05, 12:46 AM

Re: Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Turn down error reporting.
You probably have it set WAY to high.
Also make sure you don't have something like this in your script
if(error)die;
Oh yeah also for post variables I just like to use

extract($_POST) ;

make sure you don't try

$x = extract($_POST) ;

Otherwise = $x winds up just being null or 0 or 1 I think, depending on you version.

extract assigns all of them automagically
If thats to sloppy and full of holes for ya try this

if($_POST['VariableName']){
$x = $_POST['VariableName'];
}

"Neil Strong" <Neil_Strong@no domain.com> wrote in message news:<bnit2q$3v v$1@visp.bt.co. uk>...[color=blue]
> I'm getting an error message "Unidentifi ed Index" when reading posted
> variables from a form
>
> $x = $_POST['VariableName']
>
> I know I can use 'isset()' to check them first, but I'm curious as to why
> this works on some servers and not others......... Most of the servers I run
> it on just ignore the problem and result in the variable being assigned
> empty.
>
> I've tries on 3 different installations:
>
> 1 Linux ( No Error message)
> 1 Windows XP ( No Error message )
> 1 Windows 2000 ( Fails! )
>
> Is it a php.ini setting?
>
> Regards,
> Neil[/color]

**Daniel Tryba** · Jul 17 '05, 12:46 AM

Re: Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Steve <gr82meetu78@ya hoo.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Turn down error reporting.
> You probably have it set WAY to high.[/color]

Error reporting _can't_ be to high :)
[color=blue]
> if($_POST['VariableName']){
> $x = $_POST['VariableName'];
> }[/color]

This will generate a warning if the index doens't exist, since the code
aboce tries to access the index.

Correct example would be:

if(array_key_ex ists('VariableN ame',$_POST))
{
$x=$_POST['VariableName'];
}

--

Daniel Tryba

**Steve** · Jul 17 '05, 12:47 AM

Re: Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Oops hehe, you're right, I stand corrected.
On the other hand, the site shouldn't die either way, and errors
should be reported to a log, not dumped to the screen for everyone to
see.
IMHO this is one of PHP greatest failings in it's default
configuration.
There is however a way to fix this in the php.ini file.

Also error reporting can be too high, a person doesn't nessecarily
need to know about every single "notice". And a script certainly
shouldn't die when encountering a notice, only an error. This is what
I'm reffering to when I mean having it set to high.
Sorry about the confusion.

Daniel Tryba <news_comp.lang .php@canopus.nl > wrote in message news:<bnjsab$gd c$1@news.tue.nl >...[color=blue]
> Steve <gr82meetu78@ya hoo.com> wrote:[color=green]
> > Turn down error reporting.
> > You probably have it set WAY to high.[/color]
>
> Error reporting _can't_ be to high :)
>[color=green]
> > if($_POST['VariableName']){
> > $x = $_POST['VariableName'];
> > }[/color]
>
> This will generate a warning if the index doens't exist, since the code
> aboce tries to access the index.
>
> Correct example would be:
>
> if(array_key_ex ists('VariableN ame',$_POST))
> {
> $x=$_POST['VariableName'];
> }[/color]

**Jochen Daum** · Jul 17 '05, 12:47 AM

Re: Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Hi Steve!

On 27 Oct 2003 20:07:44 -0800, gr82meetu78@yah oo.com (Steve) wrote:
[color=blue]
>Oops hehe, you're right, I stand corrected.
>On the other hand, the site shouldn't die either way, and errors
>should be reported to a log, not dumped to the screen for everyone to
>see.
>IMHO this is one of PHP greatest failings in it's default
>configuratio n.
>There is however a way to fix this in the php.ini file.[/color]

Depends a bit, if you want the bugs now or the bugs later. I love
error notices, because they tell me, when

- I misplelled a variable, property etc.
- Assumed wrongfully a variable is an array, a scalar etc.
- I didn't check a case
- I don't have an else part for an if.

All this will lead to a bug sometime, because someone will use the
script in a way I haven't though of.

I have notices off of course on the production server, but develop a
script, until it runs without notices.

HTH, Jochen

[color=blue]
>
>Also error reporting can be too high, a person doesn't nessecarily
>need to know about every single "notice". And a script certainly
>shouldn't die when encountering a notice, only an error. This is what
>I'm reffering to when I mean having it set to high.
>Sorry about the confusion.
>
>Daniel Tryba <news_comp.lang .php@canopus.nl > wrote in message news:<bnjsab$gd c$1@news.tue.nl >...[color=green]
>> Steve <gr82meetu78@ya hoo.com> wrote:[color=darkred]
>> > Turn down error reporting.
>> > You probably have it set WAY to high.[/color]
>>
>> Error reporting _can't_ be to high :)
>>[color=darkred]
>> > if($_POST['VariableName']){
>> > $x = $_POST['VariableName'];
>> > }[/color]
>>
>> This will generate a warning if the index doens't exist, since the code
>> aboce tries to access the index.
>>
>> Correct example would be:
>>
>> if(array_key_ex ists('VariableN ame',$_POST))
>> {
>> $x=$_POST['VariableName'];
>> }[/color][/color]

--
Jochen Daum - CANS Ltd.
PHP DB Edit Toolkit -- PHP scripts for building
database editing interfaces.

PHP DB Edit Toolkit

http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpdbedittk/

Download PHP DB Edit Toolkit for free. PHP DB Edit Toolkit is a set of PHP classes makes the generation of database edit interfaces easier and faster. The main class builds tabular and form views based on a data dictionary and takes over handling of insert/update/delete and user input.

Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

Unidentified Index Problem on some servers

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