PHP error reporting problem

Sanoz0r

I can't wrap my head around this problem. Someone please help! 🙁

I get completely different error results on my production (v5.2.0) and development (v5.2.5) servers for the same code.

I have set the following error level in the code:
error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE);

On my development server the application runs perfectly with no errors or warnings, while on the production server I get ton of these header warnings:
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent

Surely I can configure the production server so it runs my code exactly the same as it currently does on my development server?

My other question is: surely error_reporting() will override the settings in php.ini? I don't understand why after applying the same error reporting levels in my code I still get different error results. I would expect it to be an exact replica!

NogDog

The error is occurring because something is causing output to be generated prior to whatever PHP function is being called on the offending line. If you look at the entire error message, it should tell you (1) what line in the code is failing, and (2) what line in the code generated the first output which resulted in headers being sent. Be aware that something as simple as a blank line before the opening "<?php" of your script will cause output to be generated and headers to be sent.
As far as why it fails on one server and not the other, the most likely reason is that, in fact, there is something different between the files. It could even be a result of your FTP program appending a newline to the end of an include file (after its closing "?>". Less likely, but still a possibility, is that the problematic server has some configuration setting such as an auto_prepend_file that is generating output. Or perhaps the server where there is no problem has output_buffering turned on.
The error_reporting settings should generate the same result if both servers have the same display_errors setting (on or off), and if the errors are run-time errors. (If the errors are parse errors, then the error_reporting() function will not yet have been processed.) In this particular case, you are looking at a run-time error, so the indications are that there is some difference in the files or the configurations as described above, and it is failing on one server but not on the other.

Weedpacket

I'd add one more point to NogDog's list.

The error_reporting setting on the two servers should be such that (a) the development server displays ALL errors (including notices), so that you can debug code that is in development; and (b) the production server displays no errors (i.e., display_errors should be turned off) so that potential attackers aren't given information which they can use to tune their attacks.

Sanoz0r

Thanks for the replies!

Wow, can you believe it. There was a single line below one of my classes - works perfectly now!

My question now is howcome I didn't get these errors on my dev server? I've compared the php.ini files between the two servers, and everything is the same. Except the production server has error_reporting 8191, which I override with error_reporting(0);

Sanoz0r

[duplicate post]