RFC: PHP 6 include E_NOTICE in default php.ini

Hi Richard,

I'm a little confused. Showing E_NOTICE errors is already the default
with both php.ini-* files. What does this RFC change? Are you proposing
that the PHP default value (without a php.ini) be modified?

; error_reporting
; Default Value: E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE & ~E_STRICT & ~E_DEPRECATED
; Development Value: E_ALL
; Production Value: E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED & ~E_STRICT

Regards,
Philip

Ref: http://svn.php.net/viewvc/php/php-src/branches/PHP_5_4/php.ini-production?view=markup

Hei, Richard

I've looked into the php.ini.* files of PHP 5.4 for windows and saw the
following line in production:
error_reporting = E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED & ~E_STRICT
display_errors = On
log_errors = On

and the following line in development:
error_reporting = E_ALL
display_errors = Off
log_errors = On

I also looked up the function error_reporting and came around that:
http://no.php.net/manual/en/errorfunc.configuration.php#ini.error-reporting
http://php.net/manual/en/function.error-reporting.php#refsect1-function.error-reporting-changelog

The first link seems to contain some out-dated information ... That was the
reason why you raised the RFC, right?

Here's how I understood the second link and the settings I found in the
windows version:
You'll get every message reported by the php-parser in your log by default
if you're working using the development version and won't get any
deprecated and strict messages in production. If this messages are
written into a log-file or passed to the output is up to the rest of the
settings where in both environments both they're written into the
error-log-file but only *development *it is additionally visible to the
user.

So for the windows environment (if you'd ask me) this seems solved. I have
not looked into the other environments yet.
If they are not the same we should work to keep the default-configuration
in one way, whatever OS you're working on.

Bye
Simon

2012/2/27 Richard Lynch ceo@l-i-e.com

I think it's a good idea, though I'm not sure it should be done in the
production one as well. I'm not sure, but I think these errors are
generally suppressed in production because of potential security
concerns
involved in making those errors public.

I would contend that if you have any errors at any level of E_* going
out over HTTP, you have done it "wrong".

It is true that in the days of register_globals, the E_NOTICE going to
the HTML was a gold-mine for abusers of potential security threats.

But all of E_* messages are also goldmines of the same ilk.

That said,

I would suggest amending the RFC so that it only applies to
php.ini-development. Other than that, I like it.

If most cheap webhosts chose php.ini-development, I'd be okay with
this, as it probably is not suitable for PRODUCTION environments for
the experts.

Unfortunately, most cheap webhosts go with php.ini-production, as they
are production environments, and the unwashed masses of users of said
cheap webhosts are the target audience of the proposal.

As stated in the RFC, the experts can and will change their php.ini to
their taste in each environment: It's the masses of users who don't
even know there is a choice that are being hurt by the current default
setting, writing bad code, asking questions of obvious typos that
E_NOTICE would catch, and remaining un-educated for too long that they
develop bad habits.

Not that I think this will eliminate newbie postings. There will
always be those who don't even read or comprehend the most clear error
messages.

But I think it will reduce the number of postings by newbies who are
tripped up by the typical mistakes E_NOTICE exposes.

PS
I want to thank you for your reasoned response, especially given the
other thread we are involved in!

--
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