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Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:34:00 -0700
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Feature request: ini setting for http 500 on fatal
 errors
From: rasmus@lerdorf.com (Rasmus Lerdorf)

Evert | Rooftop wrote:
> Excuse me if this has been discussed before, but I would like to know 
> the stance on this issue, it's hard to search the buglist or mailing 
> archives on stuff like http, 500 and fatal.
> 
> Would it be hard to implement an ini setting for throwing a http 500 
> error on a fatal error? It's hard to make certain applications and have 
> proper error handling if there is no way to do anything on a fatal error..
> 
> It would be even grander if php could try to run a fall-back script when 
> something really bad happens, but just having that 500 on fatal errors 
> would be awesome ..
> 
> If this is not going to happen anytime soon, would you accept a patch?

How would you implement it.  Fatal errors can happen after output has 
already been sent in which case it is too late to change the http 
status.  And if you haven't sent anything yet, as in you are using 
output buffering, then it is rather trivial to do in user space.  Simply 
start you script by setting the status to 500 and change it to 200 when 
you know you have good output to send.  That way if a fatal error 
happens, the 500 will be sent.

-Rasmus