php displays on local testing server, but not when I upload it to the "real" server!

Tifosi2k2

Okay guys,

First, I'm a total newb to php and have only been doing web design for about a month now. So bear with me.

I designed a page in Dreamweaver 8 using PHP, the goal was to display a couple of news RSS feeds on my front page using XSLT fragments. When I tested it on my local server (my computer) using Apache2, it worked Great!! 🙂

Then I uploaded it to my actual web host and evrything displays but the RSS feeds :mad: I getr an error message that says: " MM_XSLTransform error.
The server could not perform the XSL transformation because an XSLT processor for PHP could not be found. Contact your server administrator and ask them to install an XSLT processor for PHP."

So my host said they dont support XSLT w/Windows hosting and I needed to switch to Linux. Okay I did that. Still doesn't work. So i contacted them again and they said PHP4 doesn't support XSLT and I needed to use PHP5, they said that php4 and 5 are both enabled and that the file I upload needs to specify that it needs PHP5...... 😕

How do I do that?

Is there something in the code I need to do? If so what and where? I'm so lost right now it's not even funny. Well, okay it's alittle bit funny... :p

thorpe

Your web host is telling fibs. Either that, or they have there servers setup in such a way that php 5 may need a different file extension or something. .php5 maybe?

You really need to be asking more questions of your host.

Tifosi2k2

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I've tried the .php5 file extension and I still get nothing. I also just tried an .htaccess file to see if I can set the .php default to php5 rather than defaulting to php4.... I don't know if thats even possible. 🙂

So it looks like I'm gonna have to call them tomorrow and have them walk me through this like I'm an idiot (which I am 🙂 )

I just don't understand why it works PERFECTLY on my testing server but not on their server. Could it be because I'm runnign Apache2Triad as a testing server and the web host is running Apache1.3.3?

hagen00

Tifosi2k2 wrote:
file I upload needs to specify that it needs PHP5

like I'm an idiot (which I am )

I reckon your web hosts are the idiots, not you. They need to tell you exactly how you need to do that. You have no way of knowing how to do this, becaus you don't know how they've configured their servers.

Tifosi2k2

Okay, I heard from the webhosts today:

They said I need to use something called a php.ini file to specify that Im using php5. :queasy:

Unfortunately they can't support the modification of that file and suggested I use my "favorite" search engine and basically figure it out for myself. Gee thanks guys. :xbones:

So I'm off to Google "php.ini" and we'll see what I come up with.

In the meantime, does anyone know of a tutorial that shows what this is and how to do it? 😕

Thanks.

thorpe

The php.ini file is php's main configuration file, normally you wouldn't have access to such a file.

Is this a shared host or a dedicated server? If its dedicated, I have to ask... how did you even get it setup in the first place without knowing what the php.ini file is?

Tifosi2k2

thorpe wrote:
The php.ini file is php's main configuration file, normally you wouldn't have access to such a file.

Is this a shared host or a dedicated server? If its dedicated, I have to ask... how did you even get it setup in the first place without knowing what the php.ini file is?

It's a shared host. And... like I said, I'm new to this whole web design/Hosting thing, I'm just fumbling my way through trying to learn as I go. 🙂

So, I have been reading online now about php.ini files and while I don't have access to the "main" php.ini file, I can create one to place in my root directory that will override the main one, but only for my root folder. Is that right?

thorpe

I can create one to place in my root directory that will override the main one, but only for my root folder. Is that right?

Not as far as I know. The php.ini file is read once, when the server is started. Where are you reading this stuff?

Tifosi2k2

thorpe wrote:
Not as far as I know. The php.ini file is read once, when the server is started. Where are you reading this stuff?

Using a php.ini File

thorpe

Is this who hosts your server?

Also... what directive were you told to change to enable php 5? As far as Im aware there is none. You can change a directive in apache's configuration but thats a whole different ballgame.

Tifosi2k2

thorpe wrote:
Is this who hosts your server?

No, I have GoDaddy.com for now....

Here are their thoughts on the subject:

adding a php.ini file....

thorpe

Have you read this?

There is nothing you can put in a php.ini to make it run php 5.

Houdini

Try a phpinfo() function. If this does not work them regardless of the version of PHP the server is not supporting it. You might find that they don't support PHP at all, or not the version you expect.
Just type into your browser http://yoursite/test.php and name the below file test.php. Then you will see either one of two things nothing of value about your server or a table with all sorts of information about the PHP install on that server. Give that a try first and if it fails then find another host for your stuff.

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Tifosi2k2

thorpe wrote:
Have you read this?

There is nothing you can put in a php.ini to make it run php 5.

Yep I tried that already, still didn't work right. I'll try it again and see what happens.... :bemused:

Tifosi2k2

Houdini wrote:
Try a phpinfo() function. If this does not work them regardless of the version of PHP the server is not supporting it. You might find that they don't support PHP at all, or not the version you expect.
Just type into your browser http://yoursite/test.php and name the below file test.php. Then you will see either one of two things nothing of value about your server or a table with all sorts of information about the PHP install on that server. Give that a try first and if it fails then find another host for your stuff.
<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Okay I did that, and it worked, but it showed up as PHP 4.3.11.

So, I'll try the .htaccess file again then run the test again and see if its php5, if it is then there must be something wrong on my end with the actual page code 😕

I just don't understand how it works perfectly with the local testing server, but not on the remote server?

Update: I just uploaded the .htaccess file to the remote server (again) and it said it can take upto an hour to take effect, so I'll check back later

Thanks guys for all the help... 🙂

Tifosi2k2

Update:

Uploaded the .htaccess file and did the test.php and voila' PHP5.1.4!

But I'm still getting an error. "this is not a valid XML document, blah, blah, blah" :xbones:

Which is good and bad. Now I have to figure out what is wrong with my page :mad:

I guess I'll go hang out on the Dreamweaver boards :bemused:

Thanks for all of the help

🙂

thorpe

I guess I'll go hang out on the Dreamweaver boards

Why? This is a great php board! Post your code.

Tifosi2k2

thorpe wrote:
Why? This is a great php board! Post your code.

Well, I just tried too, but apparently it's too long.

Here is the URL of the site thats currently up, which is causing me so much grief:

The Motorsport Report

Eventually want it to be a kind of "Drudge Report" for racing news, but as you can see, it's not working very well..... :evilgrin:

Tifosi2k2

Hey guys,

I just wanted to let you all know my problem is fixed and the web host wasn't the problem afterall! Oops. :o

Apparently there is a bug either in PHP or in Dreamweaver that displays the RSS feeds raw while throwing an MM_XSLTransform Error.

All I had to do was locate the

MM_XSLTransform.class.php

file in the "includes" folder. And use the "Find and Replace" feature in Dreamweaver to find

$old_error_handler

and replace it with

// $old_error_handler

, save it, and upload it to the server. And Boom! it works!!

So, Thanks everyone for all of your help! This is really a cool forum and as I progress and try to learn more about this stuff, I'll try to contribute when I can.

Thanks again! 🙂

fluidmediums_gm

You solved a problem for me, and I can't believe you are new to all this, you must be a genius!
I had the same error, but not the wits to find out how to fix it. How did you find out about the bug in the dreamweaver 8 code? I really want to know,

thank you your a doll !

LBARRY🙂