echo " "; fixes evaluation error

[jahndi]

For some reason, I have an if statement that is evaluating incorrectly. Wierd thing is, if I put an echo " "; or a die (" "); anywhere in the script, it evaluates correctly and the script works perfectly. Does anybody know why the heck this is? Thanks

[teiz77]

can you post an example?

[jahndi]

This is the script that is experiencing the problems. I've never seen this happen before.

<?php

// Mod Index Page
// Written by John French
// mod_index.php
//
// Primary index page for mod_user

// Define the security control variable, IN_MOD.
define("IN_MOD", 1);

//
// Include the common includes
// This include initializes the following objects
//
// $db = the database abstraction objct
// $error = the error reporting object
// $validator = the validation object
//
require_once "../mod_shared/mod_common.inc.php";

//
// include the layout of the site's pages
//
require_once "mod_page_params.inc.php";


//--------------------------------------------Begin processing the page--------------------------------

//
// First, we process the variables sent to the page via the rewritten URL.
// They come in the form www.site.com/page_var/variables (delimited by / )
//
if(isset($_GET['page']) && !empty($_GET['page']))
{
    if(!$v_page = $validator->validate_alphanumeric($_GET['page']))
    {
        // If page name is invalid, die with a 404
        $error->die_report("page_not_found", __LINE__, __FILE__);
    }
}
else
{
    $v_page = "index";
}



//
// Now we process the variables sent with the URL
//
$_ARGS = array();

if(isset($_GET['args']) && !empty($_GET['args']))
{
    // trim the annoying slash off of the end of the string
    $query_str = rtrim($_GET['args'], "/");
    
    // break the query into variables stored into an array
    $_ARGS = explode("/", $query_str);
}
                        
// check to see if our $v_page is in the site page array.  if it's not, then we check the mod page arr
if(array_key_exists($v_page, $site_page_arr))
{
    $page_specs_arr = $site_page_arr[$v_page];
} 
else if (array_key_exists($v_page, $mod_page_arr))
{
    $page_specs_arr = $mod_page_arr[$v_page];
} 
else
{
    $error->die_report("page_not_found", __LINE__, __FILE__);
}

//static
if($page_specs_arr[0] == 0)
{

    $template->set_template($page_specs_arr[1]);
    
    if(!$xhtml_main = $template->parse_template())
    {
                // if you put an echo " "; here, this conditional will evaluate correctly.  If not, it evaluates to true.
        $error->die_report("template_failed", __LINE__, __FILE__);
    }
    
} 
else
{
    // dynamic page compiles and returns xhtml
    $page_inc = $page_specs_arr[1];
    $xhtml_main = include($page_inc);
}


// 
// Check to see if the page we are loading requires a 
// template other than the default
//


if(isset($page_specs_arr[2]) && file_exists($page_specs_arr[2]))
{
    // if key exists, set the xhtml_template to it's value
    $xhtml_template = $page_specs_arr[2];
}
else
{  
    // Use the main template
    $xhtml_template = "../site_templates/xhtml_main.htm";
}


//
//----------------------------------------------Site-specific Includes (editable)------------------------------------------
//  Some sites will requre multiple script includes for various bits of dynamic content in other parts of
//  the page that aren't the main body generated by the include script.
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


//
// Include pages that appear on the site that aren't the main content
//

// Include the upcoming shows script
$xhtml_nav_2 = "Upcoming Show: Sat Mar 22 11:00 PM Headhunter's"; //include("mod_nextshow.php");

// Include the photos script
$xhtml_main_2 = "View Photo"; //include("mod_viewphoto.php");

// Include the separate photo thumbnail script
$xhtml_sub_2 = "Thumbnails"; //include("mod_viewthumbs.php");

// Include the banner viewing script
$xhtml_sub_1 = include("mod_userlogin.php");

// Define the template variables and what they will be replaced by
$xhtml_main_replacements = array(
                                    "{xhtml_head_1}"    => $xhtml_head_1,
                                    "{xhtml_nav_2}"        => $xhtml_nav_2,
                                    "{xhtml_sub_1}"        => $xhtml_sub_1,
                                    "{xhtml_sub_2}"        => $xhtml_sub_2,
                                    "{xhtml_main}"        => $xhtml_main,
                                    "{xhtml_main_2}"    => $xhtml_main_2
                                );


//---------------------------------------------- End site-specific includes-----------------------------------


// ---------------------------------------------- Begin template formatting-----------------------------------
//
//
$template->set_template($xhtml_template);

if(!$xhtml_output = $template->parse_template($xhtml_main_replacements))
{    
    // Since this is the main template formatter, we can't generate a formatted error_doc
    // Therefore, we must DIE
    die("Primary template engine failure.<br /><b>Line: </b>" . __LINE__ . "<br /><b>File: </b>" . __FILE__);
}

// Template successfully parsed.  Output valid XHTML.

echo $xhtml_output;

?>

[JustJeff]

Which part of that do you think evaluates incorrectly?

Generally speaking, anything 'fixed' by an 'echo' or 'die' was broken in the first place. Fix the heart of the problem, the workaround using echo or die is just hiding something (probably by sending output before the error generates a header() call).

[jahndi]

Which part of that do you think evaluates incorrectly?

Generally speaking, anything 'fixed' by an 'echo' or 'die' was broken in the first place. Fix the heart of the problem, the workaround using echo or die is just hiding something (probably by sending output before the error generates a header() call).

I didn't put it in there to fix a problem. Initially, I was using the dieto try to debug the script. When I put it in there, the script executed fine AND completely ignored the die(). The part that is evaluating incorrectly is

else
{
    die("shoud be dying here");
    $error->die_report("page_not_found", __LINE__, __FILE__);
} 

I've thoroughly investigated all of my scripts. No errors.

[JustJeff]

There's no way the die() is changing the way the if() {} elseif() {} else is evaluating - it's hiding something.

If it were me, I'd be using print_r() to show all of those variables, because something isn't happening the way you expect.

[jahndi]

There's no way the die() is changing the way the if() {} elseif() {} else is evaluating - it's hiding something.

If it were me, I'd be using print_r() to show all of those variables, because something isn't happening the way you expect.

I absolutely agree, I was just looking for a place to start in the process of debugging. I never entertained the idea of leaving the echo or die() in there as a hack. I'll try some stuff with print_r and see where it gets me. Thanks

John