Apache/PHP problem

[Structural Integrity]

A friend of mine has set up his first apache webserver under Windows to try out his first PHP pages. Now, he's having a particular problem when accessing variables from the URL (ie: mypage.bla?var=value).
He gets the following error:
Notice: Undefined variable: show in C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs\project\index.php on line 26

LINE 26: if($show == "messageboard")

He's using PHP 4.3.1 (he says PHP4 is mounted on the .php extension).

Does anyone know what this could be?

TY

[Mit]

its a simple warning to say ur using an undefined variable (i.e. its not been initilised yet) probably cause, if its a query string (the bit after the ?) u've not got Register Globals turned on.

Try accessing the variable using $_GET["show"] instead

Useful things.

$_GET[] is for things on the query string
$_POST[] forms that use the post method
$_COOKIE[] for cookies

[Structural Integrity]

I took a look at his php.ini file and he had register_globals indeed off. However, when I told him to put it On, it still refused to load $show. GET_["show"] did work tho. Thanks Mit.

[edit]
Now it also seems to load $show... I guess the server needed some time to load the file, or he didn't restart the server. Sadly I can't look in this guys computer.
[/edit]

[Mit]

it would have needed a restart to reload the settings etc.

[Breed]

He gets all the notice errors cause he has error_level E_ALL in php.ini


You can turn of notices by changind the error level to E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE

(I prefer to turn off notices on the live site and turn em on at the development site...)

Chriso

[Mong]

Originally posted by Structural Integrity
I took a look at his php.ini file and he had register_globals indeed off. However, when I told him to put it On,

Go back, and turn it OFF again.

There really is no excuse for being dumb enough to have this turned on.

M.

[Structural Integrity]

Originally posted by Mong
Go back, and turn it OFF again.

There really is no excuse for being dumb enough to have this turned on.

M.

Why? Is there another way he can automatically approach GET_["show"] as $show ?

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Structural Integrity
Apache2

There's your first (unrelated) problem 1.3 > 2 any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Oh, and you did use $show=$_GET['show'] didn't you?

[Mit]

Originally posted by Gayle29uk
There's your first (unrelated) problem 1.3 > 2 any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Oh, and you did use $show=$_GET['show'] didn't you?

For a start, its nothing to do with Apache Versions, its to do with the version of PHP.

And without turning register globals on, if u place

$arr = array_merge (&$_ENV,&$_GET,&$_POST,&$_COOKIE,&$_SESSION);
foreach($arr as $key => $value)
    ${$key} = $value;

at that start of the page, it will simulate register_globals, but its best to use $_GET, $_POST etc.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Mit
For a start, its nothing to do with Apache Versions, its to do with the version of PHP.

I did say unrelated, it was merely a general comment on Apache 2.

And without turning register globals on, if u place

$arr = array_merge (&$_ENV,&$_GET,&$_POST,&$_COOKIE,&$_SESSION);
foreach($arr as $key => $value)
    ${$key} = $value;

at that start of the page, it will simulate register_globals, but its best to use $_GET, $_POST etc.

Nice tip, think I may make use of that

[Mong]

I should point out that register_globals should be turned off, due to its inherent security flaws. Plus it encourages better coding practice.

The PHP site has some info about this.

M.

[the_angry_angel]

Originally posted by idimmu
lazier people just use $_REQUEST[]

which covers all of those bases.

but that defeats the point of not registering globals.

and even lazier people use extract() as a quick fix.

[MT]

Theres nothing wrong with extract.

@extract($array,EXTR_PREFIX_ALL,"cl");

is your daddy