Keep getting this error "8: Trying to access array offset on value of type null"

[Wellwisher]

Hi,

I keep getting this error "8: Trying to access array offset on value of type null"

Error shows as follows:
"URL: https://www.mysite.com/forum/index.php?action=search2
8: Trying to access array offset on value of type null
File: /home/home/site.com/forum/Themes/main-theme/Search.template.php
Line: 300"


This being the 300th line being:

Code Select Expand


<div class="', $message['alternate'] == 0 ? 'windowbg' : 'windowbg2', ' core_posts">


The forum still works and the search works as normal but it's bugging me seeing it listed so often as an error. The error is only generated when a member puts in a search bar query.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I have a custom theme hence I thought I'd post it in the coding section. 

[shawnb61]

Php version?

Smf version?

This is usually a sign of running php 8 where it's not supported:
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Main_Page

[Wellwisher]

Php version?

Smf version?

This is usually a sign of running php 8 where it's not supported:
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Main_Page

@shawnb61 PHP 7.4 CGI W/ Version SMF 2.0.19
I have PHP OpCache on - not sure if that makes a difference

As I said, it's not urgent but seeing it come up so often makes me want to kick an orphan in the nuts.

[shawnb61]

Mods?

[Wellwisher]

Mods?

Mods:

1.   Add Social Media Icons To Profiles   1.1.0    
2.   Bookmarks   2.5    
3.   SMF Likes Plus   1.5
4.   Default Avatar   2.3
5.   Ad Managment   3.2    
6.   GoogAd Mod v.1.4   1.3
7.   @mention members   1.1.2    
8.   TopicRenamer   2.2    
09.   Tagging System   3.0
10.   SimplePortal   2.3.7    
11.   Auto [iurl] For Internal Links And "nofollow" For External Links   1.0    
12.   Yet Another Spoiler Mod   1.1
13.   Simple Audio Video Embedder   6.0.3    

SMF UPDATES:

1.   SMF 1.1.19 / 2.0.6 Update   1.0
2.   SMF 1.1.20 / 2.0.9 Update   1.0    
3.   SMF 2.0.5 Update   1.0
4.   SMF 2.0.7 Update   1.0    
5.   SMF 2.0.8 Update   1.0
6.   SMF 1.1.21 / 2.0.10 Update   1.0
7.   SMF 2.0.11 Update   1.0
8.   SMF 2.0.12 Update   1.0    
9.   SMF 2.0.13 Update   1.0    
10.   SMF 2.0.14 Update   1.0    
11.   SMF 2.0.15 Update   1.0    
12.   SMF 2.0.16 Update   1.0    
13.   SMF 2.0.17 Update   1.0    
14.   SMF 2.0.18 Update   0.1.0    
15.   SMF 2.0.19 Update   1.0    

[shawnb61]

Auto iurl?

Not familiar with that mod...

[Wellwisher]

Auto iurl?

Not familiar with that mod...

It's a clever little mod. I managed to track down an old SMF mod author (who I think has left SMF forum) but he's got his mods on Github.  It differentiates the internal links from external links. Automatically adds "iurl" tag for internal links, so that they are opened in the same window and adds "nofollow" to all external links.

Great for SEO

https://github.com/LinuxPanda/SMF2.0Mod--Auto_-iurl-_For_Internal_Links_And_-nofollow-_For_External_Links

[Chen Zhen]

0 or null will be empty, so try:

Code Select Expand

<div class="', empty($message['alternate']) ? 'windowbg' : 'windowbg2', ' core_posts">


[Wellwisher]

<div class="', empty($message['alternate']) ? 'windowbg' : 'windowbg2', ' core_posts">

@Chen Zhen Thank you, that worked like a charm!!!        No more errors. That's 2 for 2 helping me out. Thank you again matey! 

Marking as solved

[shawnb61]

FYI - Chen Zhen's recommended code matches 2.0.19 for that line.  So somehow, some updates weren't applied.

[Wellwisher]

FYI - Chen Zhen's recommended code matches 2.0.19 for that line.  So somehow, some updates weren't applied.

It could be because I have a custom theme? I simply copied over some files from the "Default SMF" theme into my "custom theme" to modify them.

What's strange is when I was installing 2.0.19, it did not show me a 'warning' that I had to change this code in my custom theme. I mean, there was one change that I had to make, which I did, but the rest was fine See attached.

[Chen Zhen]

Patch/Upgrade file dates: 12/22

The upgrade package provides a replacement file solely for the default theme.
However, for the patch this edit was not included in the xml parse file.

[shawnb61]

Patch/Upgrade file dates: 12/22

The upgrade package provides a replacement file solely for the default theme.
However, for the patch this edit was not included in the xml parse file.

That edit was made in 2.0.18, so you wouldn't see it in the .19 patch. 

I suspect the 'copying files over' is at root here.  Depends which files, when, etc. 

[Chen Zhen]

Any custom theme or mod for that matter will have to depend on its author or the site admin to fix/update anything like that.

IMO checking if a variable (or array key value) isn't null prior to attempting to use it should have been in practice prior to PHP 8. Although I suppose it's difficult to catch everything when/if an error wasn't flagged in previous PHP versions.

[shawnb61]

Just an FYI - When applying patches, the package manager will attempt to propagate changes made to the default theme across any themes installed.  Of course, a lot depends on how old the theme files are, how much of the code was tweaked, etc.

Yes, php has morphed from an extremely friendly & forgiving scripting language to something closer to a real language.  I expect to see strong type checking in the future...

[live627]

That future is known as PHP 7. PHP 8 made that future stronger.

[petewadey]

0 or null will be empty, so try:

Code Select Expand

<div class="', empty($message['alternate']) ? 'windowbg' : 'windowbg2', ' core_posts">


I'm getting the same error message for these 2 lines in Sources/Gallery2.php Any ideas what I should try instead?

'password' => $row4['password'],

'private' => $row4['private'],

SMF 2.0.19 php 7.4

Thanks