Blank page issue: I can't debug

4 Mar 2008, 3:43 PM

#1

New Zenner

Join Date:: Nov 2007
Location:: Montreal, Qc
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Blank page issue: I can't debug

Hi, I'm having problem with the test version of my website. It seems like the common problem people have with blank pages: everything looks fine except when they log, add to the cart, etc... That problem appeared months ago but since it was only the test version, I let it go and worked on the real website directly instead.

The problem is that now we're changing template and I really need the test version. I found the FAQ (https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=82) and tried 2a and 2b but I can't get any error messages for either.

Does anyone has any ideas why the messages wouldn't appear?

4 Mar 2008, 5:49 PM

#2

drbyte

Sensei

Join Date:: Jan 2004
Posts:: 63,513
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Re: Blank page issue: I can't debug

Did you set folder permissions so that the debug logs could be generated?

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4 Mar 2008, 6:29 PM

#3

arrow

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Re: Blank page issue: I can't debug

I knew this was going to be something basic like that but I was so deep into it, I couldn't see anything.

Thank you very much! Now, that explains one issue but still doesn't explain why I couldn't see errors on screen. Still, I now have a place to start my research for the bug so that might not be necessary.

4 Mar 2008, 6:58 PM

#4

arrow

New Zenner

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Re: Blank page issue: I can't debug

Quick update, I did find the problem so everything's cool!

4 Mar 2008, 7:18 PM

#5

website_rob

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Join Date:: Oct 2006
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Re: Blank page issue: I can't debug

Care to share? :smile:

No doubt others will run into the same problem(s) you did and knowing how you fixed it may help them also.

The learning is in the doing.

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5 Mar 2008, 8:15 PM

#6

arrow

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Re: Blank page issue: I can't debug

The root of all my problems seems to lie within the file transfers. I don't think my FTP program is all that good because the file doesn't always transfer ok. Anyway, after changing my folder permissions, I checked one of the debug file and read that my bug was in the file configure.php at the line 67. I opened the file and saw that my code ended at line 65 and had two blank lines. I deleted both and voilà!

My theory is that a faulty file transfer created one or more invisible characters which somehow prevented the file to work properly. So my recommandations are these:

1- Make sure you have a good FTP program to avoid all of this.
2- Use the Error Logging Utility
3- If the utility doesn't work, pray to a god that knows PHP because if bug can be a blank line, debugging just got a whole lot harder!