[php-src] Issue #9334: wish: alternative to "whitescreen of death"
| From: | RichardNeill | Date: | Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:40:42 +0000 |
| Subject: | [php-src] Issue #9334: wish: alternative to "whitescreen of death" | ||
| Groups: | php.bugs | ||
| Request: | Send a blank email to php-bugs+get-242219@lists.php.net to get a copy of this message | ||
Issue: https://github.com/php/php-src/issues/9334
Author: RichardNeill
### Description
On a production system, it's sensible to have display_errors off.
However, this means that, if something does go wrong, all the user sees is a blank whitescreen.
(they do get a HTTP-500 code, but unlike the Apache Server-500 error page, there is no associated
text).
I've just discovered that some of of my end-users variously assumed the "whitescreen of
death" actually meant one of:
* "Everything is OK, we acted on your request" (like the Unix idiom of verbose on error,
silent on success).
* Browser timeout or network error (please refresh).
* Permission denied.
* User error.
Rather than correctly interpreting it as:
* "Sorry, the developer/admin did something stupid, and is blissfully unaware of it, and would
really have appreciated you telling them".
So, my wish is that, when PHP dies "silently" e.g. due to a syntax error, or a missing
function, it should either use the standard Apache Error-500 page, or at least print the words
"Server Error" (or similar) on screen. Thanks.