Image Handler 3 Support Thread (for ZC v1.3.9)

[niccol]

the file should read:

<?php 
define('BOX_TOOLS_IMAGE_HANDLER', 'Image Handler');

I suspect that you don't have the first line of that.

[Athens Collectibles]

Nick, you were right to suspect me. <?php was not included as the first line. But, when added, nothing changed except for the constant not displaying any more above the logo. Links are still dead.

[DarkAngel]

so can you post the file you created and the exact thing you did please...I got confused (not a difficult task either so hush...lol)

[Athens Collectibles]

You are not alone in your confusion! What I've done so far:

1) Run the SQL statement as suggested by Clyde (see post #745)
2) Deleted file ADMIN/includes/boxes/image_handler_tools_dhtml.php as suggested by Clyde (see post #745)
3) Created a new file ADMIN/includes/extra_datafiles/ih3_filenames.php as suggested by dbltoe (see post #746) and corrected by niccol (see post #752)

Contents of the new file:

<?php
define('BOX_TOOLS_IMAGE_HANDLER', 'Image Handler');

The situation remains as described in the screenshot of post #745. When the links Manager, Admin, Preview and About are clicked, nothing happens.

I wish I was a php programmer to check each file and see what's going on but, unfortunately, I'm not. I don't believe that there are security issues preventing IH to work. It may not meet all security requirements of Zen Cart 1.5 but it should work, even if there were risks which I (and other users) would be prepared to accept.

[DivaVocals]

I wish I was a php programmer to check each file and see what's going on but, unfortunately, I'm not. I don't believe that there are security issues preventing IH to work. It may not meet all security requirements of Zen Cart 1.5 but it should work, even if there were risks which I (and other users) would be prepared to accept.

I believe it IS the increased security in IH3 that is preventing the links in the app from working.. There is a fair bit of IH3 code that IS NOT secure based on the standards that v1.5 of ZC was built under. It is ENTIRELY possible that the new ZC will indeed prevent add-ons that don't meet these standards to run.. (this is not impossible -- WordPress does this with it's code to try and keep errant plugins from bringing down a site, so WHY couldn't Zen Cart do it)

Now do I know this for SURE?? Nope.. I don't know FOR SURE e that this is what is happening here because I have not looked at the IH3 code. However I do know based on my 17+ years working in software development that this can indeed be the case. Additionally there have been indications (based on discussion about IH3 compatibility with v1.5 by knowledgeable folks from this community) that the issues with IH3 and needed security fixes may very well prevent IH3 from working under v1.5..

That said, as I said previously I don't know what stage the work on IH3 for v1.5 is at.. I don't think that there is a QUICK fix for it using the current codebase at this time. If you REALLY need it working, you might consider hiring a developer to fix it for you, or wait for more information on IH3 development..

Now if anyone in the community knows otherwise hopefully they will share.. (niccol??nigel???) I am happy to be proven wrong here..

[Athens Collectibles]

I am happy to be proven wrong here..

Me too

[niccol]

Well, I thought I had got IH3 running fine on a development server but can't say for sure because my mind is a bit elsewhere at the moment.

There is the issue with sercurity on 1.5 but I didn't think that this actually prevented things from working. Rather people were being encouraged to code to meet those guidelines. But this is just what I believe.

However, there are other issues with making a module work with a new version. The code was written to be compatible with a previous codebase. If there are incompatibilities with the new codebase then that will cause functional issues. To be honest I would guess that that is the case here, or there is simply an installation error.

Having said that these links are actioned using a get parameter on the URL. Which is one of the things that is being discouraged in Zen 1.5. So perhaps there is stronger security in place to prevent this happening. You'd have to investigate or ask the developers.

What happens if you add this to the end of the image handler URL

?page=about

so it reads

image_handler.php?page=about

That should emulate the link that is being used and might shed some light on the issue.

I know there are efforts to get IH working. As Diva knows I am not involved in that. Partly, because others are doing it and partly because I think that IH is overly complex for the needs of most stores. So, I am not keen to spend too much time investigating this quirk.

[Athens Collectibles]

What happens if you add this to the end of the image handler URL

?page=about

so it reads

image_handler.php?page=about

That should emulate the link that is being used and might shed some light on the issue.

Absolutely nothing happens. I had already tried it with all four links.

However, typing this in the URL does respond and clears image cache: https://www.example.com/STORE_NAME/M...ih_clear_cache

This typed directly: https://www.example.com/STORE_NAME/M...ion=ih_install responds with the message "Image Handler successfully installed" but nothing else changes in terms of functionality.

Any clues from that?

[DivaVocals]

There is the issue with sercurity on 1.5 but I didn't think that this actually prevented things from working. Rather people were being encouraged to code to meet those guidelines. But this is just what I believe.

However, there are other issues with making a module work with a new version. The code was written to be compatible with a previous codebase. If there are incompatibilities with the new codebase then that will cause functional issues. To be honest I would guess that that is the case here, or there is simply an installation error.

Having said that these links are actioned using a get parameter on the URL. Which is one of the things that is being discouraged in Zen 1.5. So perhaps there is stronger security in place to prevent this happening. You'd have to investigate or ask the developers.

My take based on the conversations that have taken place on this topic is that add-ons which use insecure GET parameters will most likely NOT work with Zen Cart v1.5. IH3 is LOADED with these kinds of GET parameters as it was written in 2006 (when this was not considered an issue) and NEARLY ALL of Tim's original codebase is still in place in the current IH3. I think that there are some issues with compatibility between versions of Zen Cart, but I do believe that the security issues also play a role.. Given that NONE of the links in IH3 work with v1.5, I think this would appear to be the case.

In fact there appear to be HINTS given early on by VERY knowledgeable folks that Clydes "fix" for IH3 alone would only allow IH3 to be registered under the new v1.5 requirements for admin add-ons. However, getting an add-on to "show up" in the admin in v1.5 doesn't mean that it will WORK in v1.5..

George, I know you don't want to hear this, but I do believe that IH3 needs a re-write not only to meet the new security requirements of v1.5.. It needs a re-write to WORK in v1.5. Kuroi said as much in the v1.5 mods thread when there was a BRIEF discussion of ClydeJones "fixes" to IH3.

[niccol]

Yup, I diagnose that it doesn't work

As I said not to keen to go further than that. Just had a quick peek at the code and ran away crying. There is a whole lot of work that needs to be done in there.

If you are 100% sure that your install is right then that leads one to believe that there is a compatibility issue that is best solved by re-coding.

The best advice I can give is wait for a version to be released that is compatible with 1.5.