Mysterious Validator Link

I've noticed in the last few Zen Cart versions that located in this file:

/includes/templates/template_default/common/tpl_footer.php

there is this code at the bottom:

Code:

---

<?php
} // flag_disable_footer
?>

<?php if (false || (isset($showValidatorLink) && $showValidatorLink == true)) { ?>
<a href="https://validator.w3.org/check?uri=<?php echo urlencode('http' . ($request_type == 'SSL' ? 's' : '') . '://' . $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] . (strstr($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], '?') ? '&' : '?') . zen_session_name() . '=' . zen_session_id()); ?>" target="_blank">VALIDATOR</a>
<?php } ?>

---

I have not been able to find an ON/OFF switch. Is there one and I'm just not seeing it?

Given that the validation link is more of a dev thing than something customers need, and if issues need fixing then FTP will be required, there is no admin switch.

Instead, there are two file-based ways to enable it:

You could simply change the 'false' to 'true' in the file itself:

Code:

---

<?php if (false || (isset($showValidatorLink) && $showValidatorLink == true)) { ?>

---

Or, alternatively you could add an /includes/extra_configures/validator_link.php file, containing:

Code:

---

<?php
$showValidatorLink = true;

---

and simply change its extension from .php to .off when not needed. Or just leave it as .php if you're begging for a way to leave the icon on all the time.
(You could have this file on your "dev" site, and skip uploading it to your "live" site. That way you always have the "dev" site showing the icon for convenience.)

Most developers already know about using a Browser tool to validate and people that are not developers probably wouldn't know what the code is about or how to enable it.

Being as this is core code added since v1.5.5 and it is coded to use a switch, are there plans to incorporate an Admin switch at some point?

No .