[RESOLVED] Check where output starts: header(location:) issue

leatherback

Hi All,

I am upgrading a CMS I wrote a long time ago. part of the upgrade is an overall include page which store basic stuff like contact details, paths, scriptnames.

I have run into the problem that I get a 'Cannot modify headers, headers already sent. Output started by include_inc.php:1 in page.php line X' error message, when trying to redirect people after processing, using header(location🙂.

I assume that the include_inc.php:1 means that it should be on line 1 of my include that the output started?
Odd thing is.. I cannot find any output: The include starts of with <?php, then a whole bunch of variable & constant declarations, then ?> and no whitespace before or after.

Also, if I add echo "--"; at the top and end of the include file, nothing shows up in between.

Anybody know a way to get a better idea where the output may have started?

Weedpacket

Hmm. My first thought was an autoinclude but you'd know if you had one of those.

My second thought may be a goer, however. Any chance that include_inc.php has been saved as Unicode text (UTF-8, UCS16, etc.) so that it starts with a BOM marker? It wouldn't be visible if viewed in anything that interprets Unicode properly, but being outside the <?php tags it may cause problems.

I think PHP will use the same character encoding for included files as it uses for the main file (page.php). If the latter isn't Unicode, then it would assume that include_inc.php isn't either and so treat the BOM as output.

Hm... just tried that; I'm right, but if that was your problem I think you'd see the BOM in the output

leatherback

Hey Weed,

Nope.. No autoinclude (Although I should look into that somethey. Currently auto-prepending a file for each page.. Bit of a nuisance in larger sites)

The encoding sounds like a winner. I am at work at the moment and will check it this evening. I did set notepad++ to UTF-8, Maybe I forgot to switch the BOM off.

Thanks,

Jelle.

Weedpacket wrote:
Hmm. My first thought was an autoinclude but you'd know if you had one of those.

My second thought may be a goer, however. Any chance that include_inc.php has been saved as Unicode text (UTF-8, UCS16, etc.) so that it starts with a BOM marker? It wouldn't be visible if viewed in anything that interprets Unicode properly, but being outside the <?php tags it may cause problems.

I think PHP will use the same character encoding for included files as it uses for the main file (page.php). If the latter isn't Unicode, then it would assume that include_inc.php isn't either and so treat the BOM as output.

Hm... just tried that; I'm right, but if that was your problem I think you'd see the BOM in the output

leatherback

Weed: The UTF encoding was the culprite. Indeed a BOM marker, which didn't show in my editor.

Cheers!

Weedpacket

Heh, you've been BOMed 🙂

leatherback

Hey.. that is no joke.. I am working in a high-security department here in Oxford, as animal rights activist constantly try to BOM(b) the uni..

.. OK, maybe it is a little funny ;-)