Body texts missing

[PaoloC]

Hi all, I encountered a strange problem.

After upgrading from SMF 2.0 RC2 to RC3, and reinstalling the italian language of SMF, all the body text in the messages is completely missing.

The text is not displayed, but if I try do edit or quote a post it appears again.

If I try to reply a post SMF doesn't allow me to do that, showing the message:

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Il seguente errore o i seguenti errori si sono verificati durante l'invio del post:
Non è stato inserito il corpo del post.


which means:

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Following error o errors sending post:
Post body not inserted

I tried to reload the language files via ftp, but nothing changed. I also tried to switch again to english, but it remains the same.

What can I do? please help me.

Thanks in advance

[PaoloC]

May anybody help me?



I performed a large upgrade, to be sure to fix errors, but nothing changed!!!

I cannot see the text in the message bodies!!! Please suggest me ho to fix this problem!!!

Thanks

Paolo

[Arantor]

Firstly, please note that everyone here is a volunteer, and bumping after only 3 hours is likely to get you less help, not more.

So... using UTF-8 or not?

[PaoloC]

Firstly, please note that everyone here is a volunteer, and bumping after only 3 hours is likely to get you less help, not more.

I perfectly know that, and I thank you for your reply.

So... using UTF-8 or not?

I installed the SMF italian language upgrade, with UTF-8. I tried both with and without it, but nothing changed.

I personally would not like to use UTF-8


Thanks

Paolo

[Arantor]

I perfectly know that, and I thank you for your reply.

Wishing no disrespect, if you knew it, why do it?

Anyway. So you don't want to use UTF-8 but you installed the UTF-8 language pack? Any chance of a link to the forum?

[PaoloC]

Wishing no disrespect, if you knew it, why do it?

I regret for that.


The link is here:

http://forum.anab.it

[Arantor]

So, the forum is using UTF-8. How did you upgrade? Did you at any point tell it to convert to UTF-8?

Since it looks to me right now that the database *contents* are ISO-8859-1 but the browser is being told they're UTF-8.

[PaoloC]

So, the forum is using UTF-8. How did you upgrade? Did you at any point tell it to convert to UTF-8?

Since it looks to me right now that the database *contents* are ISO-8859-1 but the browser is being told they're UTF-8.

Yes, you're right. The database is ISO-8859-1 but the contents are UTF-8. You can see in the image the language manager settings.

To update the forum I have downloaded from SMF file (smf_2-0-rc3_upgrade.zip), I have unzipped it and copied it via ftp in the remote server.

After that I have performed the usual procedure, launching the Upgrade.php file and following all the indicated steps without detectable problems.

Then I opened the forum and all was ok. In similar way I downloaded, unzipped and installed the language file I found on SMF (smf_2-0-rc3_italian-utf8.zip). Again all was all ok.

Then I entered the Maintenance menu and performed several maintenance routines (such as cleaning cache, etc.)

After minutes I realized I couldn't see the messages texts anymore. And since yesterday evening I'm going crazy to understand how to solve the problem. I also tried to re-do the upgrade, but nothing changed.

I tried to search similar situations on the web and in the forum, but I didn't find any other case ...

[Arantor]

So, does it work if you use English ISO-8859-1 instead?

[PaoloC]

Of course not.

I tried to switch from italian to english language, but nothing happened. Then back to italian, always the same.

I'm trying now to switch to english again.

[Arantor]

Of course not.

The fact that it solved it for me because it enforces a different encoding to be specified through the page header is of course irrelevant.

You might want to look at the admin panel options for converting the DB to UTF-8.

[PaoloC]

The fact that it solved it for me because it enforces a different encoding to be specified through the page header is of course irrelevant.

You might want to look at the admin panel options for converting the DB to UTF-8.

... how to test if the problem comes really from the characters encoding? May I switch the forum layout encoding back to ISO-8859-1 before acting on the DB?

And what about the fact that I cannot post messages if more than few characters?

Look here, this is what is postable ... (the last two messages, posted this morning)
http://forum.anab.it/index.php?topic=3.msg1774;topicseen#msg1774

[PaoloC]

Here you can see I cannot post.

(the language setting is back in english)

[PaoloC]

I performed the maintenance routine "Convert HTML-entities to UTF-8 characters"

... but nothing changed.

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The maintenance task 'Convert HTML-entities to UTF-8 characters' was executed successfully.

I think I'm gonna delete all the forum directories (except attachment) and reinstall all from scratch.

[Arantor]

Guess what... the content that has been able to be posted is stuff that is *exactly identical* in both ISO-8859-1 and UTF-8, meaning there's no problem with it.

You should be able to override it by modifying the smf_settings table. Have a look through the table for a row whose 'variable' is called global_character_set. If it's present, change it to ISO-8859-1, and if it's not present, add it.

Then you can run the OTHER maintenance task it provides, which actually converts the database to UTF-8, rather than just some of the characters.

[PaoloC]

Guess what... the content that has been able to be posted is stuff that is *exactly identical* in both ISO-8859-1 and UTF-8, meaning there's no problem with it.

I completely agree

You should be able to override it by modifying the smf_settings table. Have a look through the table for a row whose 'variable' is called global_character_set. If it's present, change it to ISO-8859-1, and if it's not present, add it.

Then you can run the OTHER maintenance task it provides, which actually converts the database to UTF-8, rather than just some of the characters.

You mean directly the smf_settings table in the Mysql database? I didn't find such a file in the web directories

May I access it throug Phpmyadmin?

[Arantor]

You mean directly the smf_settings table in the Mysql database? I didn't find such a file in the web directories

May I access it throug Phpmyadmin?

Yes and yes.

[PaoloC]

How may I access to Mysql database? I have installed Mysql on my online server and tried to connect to it.

In the Settings.php file (of SMF) I find the following:

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########## Database Info ##########
$db_server = 'xxxx.xxxx.it';
$db_name = 'aaaaa';
$db_user = 'bbbbb';
$db_passwd = 'ccccc';
$db_prefix = 'smf_';
$db_persist = 0;
$db_error_send = 0;


Launching setup.php (of phpMyAdmin) I find the following fields to fill:

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User for config auth
Password for config auth
Only database to show
Verbose name of this server
phpMyAdmin control user
phpMyAdmin control user password
phpMyAdmin database for advanced features
Session name for signon auth
Login URL for signon auth
Logout URL

How to fill these fields? Have I all the necessary information or do I also need a main database control user and password not included in the ones listed in Database info section in Settings.php?

[PaoloC]

Ok, I can't go on. For a problem of bureaucracy I have not access to the database, so I must resolve otherwise.

Today I tried to copy the database (I have the DB backup) on my own Mysql space, and I reinstalled the whole forum in another server, to check if it works properly (I will delete it soon).

Here you can see the result.
forum copy

Of course I had to change the Settings.php references, and I changed from an old to new datas:

- the DB position, user and password (the new DB is copied from the backup of the old one)
- the forum paths

Nevertheless the new installation has huge problems with the  theme, and I don't understand why. I checked and rechecked the directory paths, but I cannot find a solution.

Exept this, the new forum works well, the texts are visible, and I can post without problems.

I'm going to think it could be a problem of theme... 

[PaoloC]

Ok, I guess I fixed the theme's bug, and now the forum copy works properly.

I'm trying to do something with the themes also for the original forum.