decoding a php script?

[cayenne]

I'm afraid I know absolutely nothing about php, except that the file extension and the fact that the first line is <?php probably indicate I am looking at something php related. I am having trouble using Fantastico to uninstall a program for me. The 'prepare_removal.php' file never gets to complete, so I cannot actually run the removal tool. I am afraid that if I uninstall my application manually, I will either remove somehting i still need or forget to remove something I don't. So I'm coming running to you guys for help, in the hopes that you can tell me what this short bit of coding is trying to do.

The code is as follows:
<?php
$scriptpath_show = $POST['scriptpath_show'];
$localapp_folder_name = $POST['localapp_folder_name'];
if($localapp_folder_name == "")
{
$filelist = $scriptpath_show."/fantastico_fileslist.txt";
$filelist_contents = file($filelist);
foreach($filelist_contents as $file)
{
if(trim($file) != "")
{
$file = trim($file);
$shell = chmod -R 777 "$scriptpath_show/$file" 2>&1;
}
}
}
else
{
$shell_result = chmod -R 777 "$scriptpath_show" 2>&1;
}
echo "Operation completed. Close this window and proceed with removal.";
?>

I can't tell what it is the file is supposed to do - maybe chmod all the files in the fantastico file list to 777? All I know is that it spits out a path, but never gives me the 'operation completed' line. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[rehfeld]

try putting this right below the <?php tag

ini_set('display_errors', 1);
error_reporting(E_ALL);

hopefully it will give you an error that gives a clue whats going wrong.

[dewen]

it seems if 'localapp_folder_name' is given, then the code chmod on all files listed in $scriptpath_show."/fantastico_fileslist.txt" ($scriptpath_show has to be a valid path), otherwise the code chmod on "$scriptpath_show" and everything inside.