File Upload: Blank Error Message

Hi,

This is my first post to the forums having gleaned MUCH useful and helpful information from them already, negating the requirement to post until now.

I'm using Joomla 1.5 and Chronoforms version 3.2.
I've created a form that appears to work until I try to upload a file, when I am presented with a blank error message:

I have turned on/off debug, which had no effect.
I have tried renaming the existing chronoformuploads.php and uploading the "fixed" one as per the advice in this post: http://chronoengine.com/forums.html?cont=posts&p=60769#p60769, but that only resulted in breaking it completely, so I went back to the chronoformsuploads.php I had renamed to *.old.
I have turned on/off FTP, to no avail.
Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated, as the site is otherwise ready to go live and this is holding it up.
Thank you!

Hi bazza_vr6,

As far as I know the replacement file is still the correct fix for this. I'm not clear why it isn't working for you though :-(

Bob

Hi, GreyHead, and thanks for your reply.

I've downloaded the fix again (in case it was corrupted in transfer), uploaded it again and tested the form, but again, the fix results in a break: Firefox (v3.6.13) just shows a blank page on submission of the form, and Internet Explorer (v8.0.6001.18702) shows an HTTP 500 error on submission of the form.

If you'd like to get in and see the form/site, I'm happy to organise access.

I have downloaded and installed Chronoforms v4, and the file upload in this works perfectly. But recreating the v3.2 form in v4 with all its emails, code, database links, etc... and with no tutorials and a somewhat-less-than-intuitive backend... is daunting to say the least. So if I could get it working in v3.2, the site could go live straight away!

Hi bazza_vr6 ,

By all means email or PM me the site URL and a SuperAdmin login and I'll take a quick look.

I may also need access to see the files, can I install exTplorer?

Bob

Hi bazza_v6,

This is an unusual one. I took a copy of your form and restored it on my local server which has Error Reporting at Maximum. That shows up a Parse Error when the form is submitted.

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in R:\xampp\htdocs\joomla1.5j\components\com_chronocontact\libraries\customcode.php(51) : eval()'d code on line 30

This tracks back to the code in the OnSubmit After Email box. The code there looks good except that there is one opening PHP tag which <? and not <?php. I think that is causing the problem; when I change it the form appears to submit correctly.

Bob

Thanks, Bob.
I would NEVER have found that.
It certainly has moved things on... I see now that:
(1) Staggeringly, uploads have actually been being saved since yesterday (!)... but in the public_html folder (not where the form is configured to save them)! (I've deleted the uploaded files as they weren't required, though I've left some from today for your info, just in case.)
(2) Joomla! registration is not being carried out on submission (it was before)
(3) Submission doesn't fail (and should) if user's email address is already registered in Joomla! (this may be because the registration isn't taking place at all - see (2) above!)
(4) Emails triggered on submission of the form have the uploaded file(s) attached - this is not wanted and wasn't the case before
Any thoughts?
In humble appreciation of your expertise -
Barry

Hi bazza_vr6,

The plug-ins aren't configured on the copy form I created so that won't register users. If you make the change on your original form then they should be OK.

The file upload works in two steps, Joomla! + your site server handle the upload from the form to the server; then ChronoForms moves and renames the file to the folder specified in the Form configuration. That explains why you have files in a temporary location.

You can turn off attachments in the Email Setup | Properties box.

Bob

Thank you so much for your help, Bob.

D'oh! Of course, the Joomla Registration plugin wasn't enabled. So you would think enabling it would solve the problem, right?
I click on the application form, click on the plugins tab, and there's the Joomla Registration, shown in *red*.
So I enable it, and it turns *green*.
Then I click on Apply (or Save).
I test the form, and still no Joomla registration happens.
So I go back to the form properties, click on the the plugins tab and - wait for it - Joomla registration has DISAPPEARED from the list completely! Any ideas?

I understand what you say about the 2-step approach to the file upload, btw. What I don't understand (sorry!) is why the files are still in the temporary location when form's File Upload tab reports the destination folder as "writable". Any thoughts on this?

A bit more background information for you (may be irrelevant, but here goes anyway):
I originally installed and configured this site in a development sub-folder of an existing website (both of which still exist).
The ISP for that site wouldn't increase their max file upload size limit beyond 2MB, so we had no choice but to go to another ISP. So I got some new space and did a clean installation of Joomla 1.5.18, as per the other site. I followed the instructions here: http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?t=187461 to copy the development site across, and everything *seemed* to be OK. Perhaps I didn't copy everything over properly (?) or I was maybe following outdated instructions? I'm happy to redo it if necessary.
Anyway, I had to upgrade the new installation to 1.5.22 so I could try Chronoforms 4 (which I've now removed).
So the dev site is still on 1.5.18 - and changing the tag there from <? to <?php makes no difference, btw.
But changing the tag on the site in the new space (now on Joomla 1.5.22) did make a difference, although the Joomla registration is now a problem here.
This is so frustrating.
Thanks for your help, though.
Barry

Hi bazza_vr6,

It sounds as though the plug-in may not be configured either? There's a separate table for the plug-in configurations - perhaps this wssn't copied over?

I've seen the disappearing plug-in problem once recently. I think I checked again in another browser and it re-appeared. If you've upgraded from 1.5.18 please also make sure that the MooTools Upgrade Plug-in is disabled.

Bob

OK, so disabling the Mootools Upgrade Plug-In definitely resolved the disappearing Joomla Registration from the Plugin tab.

And yes, the Joomla Registration configuration information did disappear. So I re-populated it.

Now when I submitted a completed form, I just get a blank page in Firefox, and a HTTP 500 error in IE8... and nothing much in the backend (no registration, nothing in the linked table, no emails sent... but the uploaded file does appear in the (temporary) root folder).

I feel like I'm so near, and yet so far...

Hi bazza_vr6,

Sounds like you have a PHP Error again, please set Error Reporting to Maximum and see if you then see a PHP Error Message.

Bob

OK, Bob, Error Reporting set to Maximum produced the following:

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in [...]/public_html/components/com_chronocontact/libraries/chronoformuploads.php on line 81

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in [...]/public_html/components/com_chronocontact/libraries/chronoformuploads.php on line 84

Notice: Undefined index: name in [...]/public_html/components/com_chronocontact/libraries/chronoformuploads.php on line 86

Notice: Undefined index: name in [...]/public_html/components/com_chronocontact/libraries/chronoformuploads.php on line 95

Notice: Undefined index: tmp_name in [...]/public_html/components/com_chronocontact/libraries/chronoformuploads.php on line 96

Fatal error: Cannot access empty property in [...]/public_html/libraries/joomla/base/object.php on line 183

Does this suggest anything to you?

Hi bazza_vr6,

None of the notices are important - they are just advisory messages. The Fatal Error is the problem.

Unfortunately it gives no clue about what is causing it. Line 183 is the code used to set the properties of an object :-(

My best guess is that something else has been missed on shifting forms around.

By all means email or PM me the site URL and a SuperAdmin login and I'll take a quick look.

Bob

Hi bazza_vr6,

I've sorted the Fatal Error problem - there was a stray comma ',' at the end of the "Field names/allowed Extensions/sizes(KB)" (hidden because the entry was longer than the box). This had ChronoForms look for a fourth non-existent file upload input.

Bob

Bob, you're a genius!

But...

Submission of the form now results in:
Error: "1. This username/password already in use. Please try another."
Yet...
The user IS registered in Joomla
Attachments ARE uploaded, but still in temporary (root) location
Both emails ARE still triggered
An entry is NOT made in database

On submission of the form, the user's registration confirmation is strangely shown twice, but turning off Joomla messages/display in the plugin has no effect - it just shows that it's turned on.

I've had a look around and can't figure out why this is happening. I thought we'd nailed it.

Barry

Hi Barry,

You had an odd line of code in the OnSubmit After Email box that seemed to be calling the code in that box recursively.

  //$MyPlugins->runPlugin('after_email', array('ONSUBMIT', 'ONLOADONSUBMIT'));

I've commented that out and all seems to be well. The registration is made and the data saved in the database.

I haven't checked to see if that has affected the uploads.

Bob

Hi, Bob,

I just want to thank you again for your assistance this week. You certainly know your stuff.

I have progressed apace and the site is now ready to go live, thanks in no small part to your invaluable help.

The last part of the jigsaw was to configure the form to modify the names of the uploaded files to include the name of the person submitting them so they are easier to retrieve from the upload folder.

For anyone that needs to accomplish the same thing, I just wanted to recommend your fantastic document "Chronoforms Uploaded Files and Folder Names" (http://greyhead.net/how-to-docs/chronoforms-uploaded-file-and-folder-names) which is clear, concise, and easy enough for a relative novice (such as my humble self) to follow.

It didn't take long to achieve the desired result. Well worth the very reasonable $8!

Thank you!

Hi Barry,

Thank you. Great to hear that it's all working now.

Bob

Hi, Bob,

I'm wondering if I spoke too soon... I've had reports of problems with file uploads. So I tested it, and immediately got "could not move file" errors.

I've configured the form to rename uploaded files. The code I originally used to do this is:

$filename = JRequest::getCmd('last_name', 'blank', 'post')."_".JRequest::getCmd('first_name', 'blank', 'post')."_".date('YmdHis').'_'.$chronofile['name'];

But when I went to check it on the form, it was only shown as:

$filename = JRequest::getCmd('last_name', 'blank', 'post').

I correct it by putting it back to:

$filename = JRequest::getCmd('last_name', 'blank', 'post')."_".JRequest::getCmd('first_name', 'blank', 'post')."_".date('YmdHis').'_'.$chronofile['name'];

... saved this and tested the form, and it worked. The files uploaded to the right location and were correctly renamed. But the code doesn't appear to have been saved properly, as when I go back in to the form to check it, the change I made has disappeared, and it's gone back to

$filename = JRequest::getCmd('last_name', 'blank', 'post').

Is this a bug? The site is now live and this is a serious concern!

Thanks -

Barry

PS: I've re-created a Super Administrator login for you.

I must be getting better at this programming lark...

I figured out that the code I was using was too long for the field. Placing it in a filename.php file in the includes folder and referencing that instead appears to have fixed the problem.

🙂

Hi bazza_vr6,

You found it, I'm not quite sure where that gets trimmed - most of the inputs have a maxlength=150 but it doesn't seem to be set for the file input. I guess that there may be a browser default at work, or possibly a smaller database column size.

Bob

hallo bob its been a long time since. i have a bit of a problem with the component. i created a form which seemed to work the time i was testing it. but alover asaden it stoped working i dont know if there is something wrong that i did on this form. actuary it even stoped working the time i was showing the client how interseting it was to have a quotation form sent to them online. when i try to send a quote request trough the form it doesnt post the information rather it just displays a red box which is supposed to be an error massege but with no information in it. it does that after i press the submit batton.
Please help me because the client is on my neck now. i hav tryed all the forrum but i have failed to get somehing similor to that .

athank you in advance.

Hi jeffseka,

I think I've already replied to this twice by email.

Is this the latest ChronoForms version 3.2?

If so there's a bug in the File upload code. Please see this post.

Bob

Thanks very much for your quick reply mr Bob. I think the problem was if any field is left blank even though it was set not required from the admin area, that trigers the error box but it show no massege.
its working fine when all fields are filled in.
so ithink maybe its a configaration problem that even iff i set a field not required, the form wont be posted untill i fill all the fields.

Hi jeffseka,

Could be that is the problem. Impossible to answer without seeing the form though.

Bob

Hi bazza_vr6,

As far as I know the replacement file is still the correct fix for this. I'm not clear why it isn't working for you though :-(

Bob

Where is the replacement file for this fix, I am getting blank errors also 😟

Hi needshelp,

The link is about three posts earlier in this thread.

Bob

What are you a wise guy?! Haha, thanks again Grey, this seem to fix the alerts, and the debugging not working.