[Fixed v1.5.1] PHP Warning: json_encode(): Invalid UTF-8 sequence in argument in...

1.5.0 final upgraded from 1.3.6

When updating a products description with special characters the error log shows:

PHP Warning: json_encode() [<a href='function.json-encode'>function.json-encode</a>]: Invalid UTF-8 sequence in argument in /home/domains/elektro.nl/public_html/admin/includes/init_includes/init_admin_history.php on line 34

Not sure if it's related, but I also noticed that all the database tables are latin encoded, except for admin_menus, admin_pages, admin_pages_to_profiles and admin_profiles
(admin_activity_log is encoded latin).

Other than the above error log everything seems to work fine, but I would like to keep the error log clean :smile:

Paul - I think it was yesterday - but someone else posted about a json_encode problem - turned out to be something with the hosting.

Thanks Kim, but I think you mean the post about the Fatal error undefined function: json_encode(), which seems quite a different problem.

In case it's related to the json version, the installed version is 1.2.1

According to the json_encode documentation on php.net:

This function only works with UTF-8 encoded data.

So it seems that the problem is the latin encoding combined with the json_encode function.

Does this mean it's required to convert the database to UTF8 when upgrading to Zen Cart 1.5.0 ? I thought I read somewhere this conversion wasn't required.

I'm unable to replicate the problem you're indicating.

What do I need to do to my installation to trigger your problem?

To replicate I think you need a 1.5.0. store with a Latin encoded database (or other non UTF8 encoding), and then update a products description containing a special character.

That's my guess, I haven't tried to replicate it yet.

Forgot to mention that, although it's an upgrade, the admin files are still orginal 1.5.0, except for the language pack (which is Dutch iso).

I have come to the conclusion that this error is not important.

As a quick fix I convert the admin logs to UTF-8. And I will later convert the whole shop to UTF-8, which will prevent problems like this.