PHPHants – Nov 2013

Developing dynamic documentation for WordPress plugins, APIs and hooks

Author: Bobbing Wide

  • Now running oik-shortcodes v1.17

    Now running oik-shortcodes v1.17

    This site is now running oik-shortcodes v1.17 This makes the [api] shortcode available. It’s now much easier to refer to an API. Here we demonstrate by example.

    Help for shortcode: [api]

    Simple API link

    Syntax

    [api
    api|0="| api - API name"]

    Example

    Links to different APIs: PHP,locally documented,WordPress reference

    [api require,oik_require,hello_dolly]

    require(), oik_require(), hello_dolly()

  • What the L?

    Using this shortcode you might expect the content of post 143, which is an oik-plugins post_type to be displayed in all its splendour.
    [bw_pages post_type=oik-plugins id=143 format=C]
    Activate the smart-bbboing plugin to localize your website into the bbboing language.

    Acttivae the smart-bbboing piglun to lozilace your wietsbe itno the bibnbog lunggaae

    Depends on bbboing
    That’s not the case. Compare with smart-bbboing
  • Someone’s doing it wrong but who?

    Someone’s doing it wrong but who?

    I’m developing a website for a Golfing Society. They want to be able to define and list their fixtures for 2014. But my shortcode is not producing results. (more…)

  • WP_DEBUG on WordPress MultiSite – not a good idea

    Earlier today I thought it would be an idea to define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); on this website. I have a zero tolerance policy on Notify messages so I would be putting my money where my mouth is. I was a bit concerned though, since it’s part of a WordPress Multisite installation. That means WP_DEBUG would be true for every site in the installation. Sure enough, my fears were well founded… (more…)

  • Fatal error: print_r(): Cannot use output buffering in output buffering display handlers

    The trouble with tracing is that sometimes you’re not allowed to use certain functions. 
    Fatal error: print_r(): Cannot use output buffering in output buffering display handlers in C:\apache\htdocs\act\wp-content\plugins\oik-bwtrace\includes\bwtrace.inc on line 253
    (more…)

  • bbboing

    I’m pobalrby dnoig it wnorg.

    (more…)

  • Top 10 questions to ask when something doesn’t work

    Originally published as the Top 10 list of questions to ask when some code doesn’t work here’s a list of questions applicable to PHP developers performing problem determination aka debugging.

    Note that this list was originally written in the days before Stack Overflow, WordPress answers and the like.
    Well… before I was aware of them.

    Cast

    • The person who’s trying to solve the problem is the asker
    • Any person who has been cajoled into helping is the askee
    • Any person who knows nothing about the problem can be the stupid question asker
    • The person who knows all about the subject is the expert
    • Finally there’s the project manager

    If you don’t think you fall into any of the roles above then pick one at random.

    General process

    • Go through the asker’s question list.
    • Next try asking the askee.
    • If you still haven’t found the source of the problem find the stupid question asker and start explaining the problem to them. You’ll probably realise your mistake quite quickly.
    • If you can’t find a stupid question asker then take on that role yourself.
    • Still no luck, then try the expert
    • Whatever you do try to avoid the project manager

    If you’re the asker

    Ask the following:

    1. Has it ever worked?
    2. Did it actually work last time?
    3. What have you done?
    4. Did you actually change the program?
    5. Are you running the program you thought you’d changed?
    6. Are you looking at the right output?
    7. Have you changed the inputs?
    8. Does the code match the comments; if not, which is wrong?
    9. Is it repeatable;  if not, give up until it is?
    10. Are you sure it’s not working?

    You can ask these questions in whatever you order you feel necessary and as many times as you like until the problem is determined.

    If you’re the askee

    1. Do the Google search that the asker should have done. Is this the modern day equivalent of RTFM?
    2. Ask the asker if they have reduced the problem to the simplest version that exhibits the bad behaviour.
    3. Ask the asker if they have compared the results with the most recent regression test.
    4. Ask them to repeat the problem on another machine.

    If you’re the stupid question asker

    Ask the asker

    1. Can you explain it to me again?
    2. Does it make any difference what day of the week you run it?
    3. Did you reload the data from yesterday’s dump?
    4. Does it work on Windows?
    5. Would you expect it to work when ‘whatever’ is not available?
    6. Were you logged in?

    If you’re the expert

    Have a brief look and either tell them the answer OR choose one of these

    • You’re doing it wrong
    • It’s not possible
    • I had that problem yesterday but it went away when I upgraded to version blah of thingummy
    • It works fine on Windows
    • You need to get trace output

    If you’re the project manager

    • When will you have a fix for it?
    • If this went into production what severity would it be?
    • Do you have a work around?
    • Ask them if they have asked the expert.
      This is a particularly good question if you know the asker IS the expert.

    Further reading

    This article has now been republished as part of the Problem Solving website.

    Visit Problem Solving
  • Hello World!

    Hello World!

    Traditionally the first post created for a WordPress “blog” is entitled “Hello World!”. Here’s a quick test for you PHP developers. What is the smallest valid example of a PHP program that will produce “Hello World!” when run?  (more…)