"ini_set" options in PHP Feedback Form

In the last few weeks, the form always returns my error page when people try to fill out a client’s online job application. I’ve been on the phone many times with the server people. They now inform me that there is no mail server associated with it. I’ve come to understand that something on their end has changed, and apparently I now need to fill in the “ini_set” options. (This’ll be some kind of mail exchange setting.)

But this isn’t GoDaddy. It’s a company called Paetec, and I’m not sure precisely what needs to go in there. The default hint indicates a “relay-hosting” followed by a server name. Do I leave that relay-hosting part in?

Also, in attempting this yesterday with a variety of different things, the PHP Feedback Form didn’t seem to be generating a new onlineapp-go.php page. The Paetec people, of course, want me to just go directly into the server and make the change on that online-go thing, but if I do that, then won’t Freeway simply overwrite whatever I do there every time I upload anything at all?

Really specific instructions would be helpful. I have no real clue what I’m doing, and I’m beginning to think that the Paetec people don’t, either — or this client’s IT people.

Specific page in question is: http://www.whitehallboca.com/Jobs/onlineapp.html

Thanks. I’ve already spent hours on this, and I’m not quite sure what steps to take next.

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Anybody? Anybody? Really could use some help. (Sent a separate message to Tim, but he must be away somewhere.)

Thanks.

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As far as I am aware there are no options to do this from within the action. It is usually set in the server configuration.

They now inform me that there is no mail server associated with it. I’ve come to understand that something on their end has changed, and apparently I now need to fill in the “ini_set” options. (This’ll be some kind of mail exchange setting.)

Can you explain what they mean about there being no mail server associated with what?

David

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Have you tried creating separate error pages for each potential error just so that you can be sure it is a server error. There is an option in the action for this.

David

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Actually, Dave, there do appear to be settings in the PHP Feedback Form. They’re called “in_set” and show as an option if the server requires a specific SMTP server, special port setting or e-mail something or other. At least that’s what appears in the latest version of PHP Feedback Form.

Here’s further info I got from the IT people, who also have been working with this Paetec company:

“I talked to Kyle at Paetec this afternoon to see where to go from here. He said that everything looks to be ok on their end server-wise. He did say however that their SMTP server requires authentication and it could be that when the form is sending out the e-mail, it doesn’t have the proper authentication information to route mail out through their SMTP server. He mentioned it’s possible that perhaps updates they may have recently been applied to the server could cause e-mail to not be sent if the authentication info is not there whereas before the updates they went out with no problem. That may or may not be the case, but he said it is possible.

“On that note, the previous recommendation he gave to Adrian about the SMTP server being set to default still could be an issue. It would need to be changed from $servername$ to either LXH0101.uslec.net or to the IP address 209.92.156.53 (which is their SMTP server). This is also something I’m sure the makers of your program can help us with.”

Of course, I kind of bought Freeway to be freed of these coding issues, so I’m not even sure what I’m reading here or what now needs to be implemented in that form.

Further thoughts? This whole issue to really starting to ratchet up with the client by now.

Laura

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They’re called “in_set” and show as an option if the server requires a specific SMTP server

You are quite correct - so have you tried putting ‘LXH0101.uslec.net’ in there (Define smtp) - if that is one of the options they gave you.

D

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And I am assuming that you did get the ‘server error’ page when you defined separate error pages.

D

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Hi Laura, Apologies for not jumping in on this earlier but as you guessed I’ve been away for the last ten days or so.

There are two ways that I can think you can get this up and running. If you know what the php_ini settings are you can simply take the - go.php file the action creates, edit it in a plain text editor, remove the action from your Freeway page, add the Upload Stuff (or Extra Resources) action, change the Form action on the page (using Page/ Form Setup) to point to the uploaded file and you should be set.

Alternatively you can use the setting in the action as Dave mentions below and this should do this for you as well.

If you’ve an example of a PHP script from your host that works then we should be able to guide you to how to be create the file.

I appreciate your frustration over this issue. Although the PHP Feedback Form Action creates code that should work with most hosting providers right out of the box the slew of features added to the action tells of how it has tried to keep pace with the unique requirements needed by every host.

Regards, Tim.

On 31 Aug 2010, at 01:11, DeltaDave wrote:

You are quite correct - so have you tried putting ‘LXH0101.uslec.net’ in there (Define smtp) - if that is one of the options they gave you.

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Hi Tim, Hi Dave:

I’ve spent another fruitless day of phone conversations and e-mail roulette with Paetec and my client’s IT department. Paetec pretty much has said it won’t help anymore, although they CAN’T say what’s gone wrong. I’ve even tried putting in the go-PHP file directly on the server the address I was given. I also tried plugging it in using the Feedback Form, but that didn’t work, either.

I’m attaching an RTF file of what the go-PHP file on the server looked like when it was working properly.

I’m also attaching a screenshot of the settings I have in the PHP Feedback Form.

Dave, I haven’t yet tried doing that send separate e-mail idea yet, because I’ve never done it and I think it’ll take me time to figure it out. Time is what I’ve not had today.

I use that Feedback Form successfully with every other client and it looks pretty much the same when filled out. No issues.

The form: http://www.laurabelgrave.com/tester/PHP-form-settings.jpg

The generated go-PHP code: http://www.laurabelgrave.com/tester/WH current go-PHP code.rtf

I hope this helps. The brass is starting to push this up the daisy chain. I gather they’ve taken on Paetec before because Paetec also has something to do with their phone system and more. With me this morning, they were downright nasty.

Isn’t this exciting?

Laura

P.S. For some reason forum threads that I’ve marked to follow no longer alert me with e-mails when someone responds.

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Hi, First of all I’m absolutely no coder, but was interested in your problem and tried to make a new PHP formscript for you using Forms To Go. I was thinking that that maybe would solve your problem.

But this program warns me about the following problem in your HTML: PHP requires that multivalue field names contains empty brackets in the field names. I don’t know if this causes your problem. Maybe you can solve this first.

Here is the link to the PHP file I created using Forms To Go. Be aware I only filled in the very basic stuff and the things I could guess looking at your image.

Maybe you can try using this and if it helps you can use Forms To Go for generating your PHP.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/248835/go-PHP.php

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I use that Feedback Form successfully with every other client and it looks pretty much the same when filled out. No issues.

But I assume they are not on the same server configuration as Paetec have?

As Tim says try adding the server info under Define smtp (or the IP address 209.92.156.53) - presuming that these are correct.

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I did exactly what you show in the panel. However, the form consistently produces the following go-php on the server: http://www.laurabelgrave.com/tester/wrong WH go-php.png.

See at the very top? It pops the default option that first appears in the form on Freeway itself when that option is checked (relay-hosting-secureserver.net/ Of course, I’m overwriting that with the LXH0101.uslec.net server, but it just doesn’t generate what I expect to see.

I have additionally tried the server IP address and the LXH0101.uslec.net — not just in the PHP Feedback Form, but in the generated go-PHP code that I can access from Transmit. I put that precisely where Paetec at one point told me to put it: between the single quote marks in the 11th line down of the go-PHP code. That doesn’t work, either.

Real aggravation, all of this. And no, my other clients are on different servers.

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Somehow Paetec uses a control panel named Plesk. Here’s some info I just found on it, included as a PDF. I bet one of you guys can understand the issue. This seems all to be about PHP.

If you have time, please take a look:

http://www.laurabelgrave.com/tester/plesco-info-phpinfo().pdf

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I see your problem - I also am getting the default server relay blah blah instead of the info I put in the define smtp box. Maybe there is a bug in the action. Tim!

I think you should use plan B as Tim suggested

There are two ways that I can think you can get this up and running. If you know what the php_ini settings are you can simply take the - go.php file the action creates, edit it in a plain text editor, remove the action from your Freeway page, add the Upload Stuff (or Extra Resources) action, change the Form action on the page (using Page/ Form Setup) to point to the uploaded file and you should be set.

To do this get the name of the action generated whatever-go.php file and in FW Page>Form Setup. Under the first tab (form) Method: Post Action: whatever-go.php

Go into your FW site folder and open whatever-go.php in your fave text editor

Substitute relay-hosting.secureserver.net with LXH0101.uslec.net

Then save this document with the same name (whatever-go.php) in your media folder as a PLAIN TEXT file.

Remove the PHPFF action from your page!

Add the Page>Page Actions>Upload Stuff

In the action inspector choose Upload to HTML location and with the first picker select your whatever-go.php file in the media folder (where you saved it)

Now reupload your site to try the form.

Now if it still doesn’t work you only need to change the whatever-go.php file that is in the media folder and FW will automatically upload the revised version. Try again with the IP address instead?

D

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Yep, a typo in the action was causing the code to default back to the initial setting. I’ve updated the action on the server so download this and try again. http://www.freewayactions.com/product.php?id=019

Apologies for the oversight. Regards, Tim.

On 2 Sep 2010, at 00:19, DeltaDave wrote:

I see your problem - I also am getting the default server relay blah blah instead of the info I put in the define smtp box. Maybe there is a bug in the action. Tim!

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Thanks, Tim. With the update the server name appears in the go-php file properly now. (Doubled-checked it in Transmit.) Unfortunately, it didn’t resolve the issue.

The matter is escalating to the top of the food chain today. I think we really need more info from Paetec in order to resolve this. That hasn’t been forthcoming in any consistent way, because I don’t believe the people there can actually say what might have changed on their end, or what, precisely, now needs to change in the form.

I’ll keep you posted.

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One last question, Tim. I dropped the LXH0101.uslec.net address I’d previously been given into the now-fixed area on the PHP Feedback Form. I didn’t include relay-hosting. prior to the server name. Is that also supposed to be there?

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Hi Laura, If Paetec can send you a sample of a PHP script that they can guarantee works, and you send that to me, then I should be able to see what the action is missing or what settings need to be set to get this to work. As each host has their own set up when it comes to sending outgoing mail tracking these issues down can be tricky so I do sympathize with your plight. Regards, Tim.

On 2 Sep 2010, at 14:51, LauraB wrote:

Thanks, Tim. With the update the server name appears in the go-php file properly now. (Doubled-checked it in Transmit.) Unfortunately, it didn’t resolve the issue.

The matter is escalating to the top of the food chain today. I think we really need more info from Paetec in order to resolve this. That hasn’t been forthcoming in any consistent way, because I don’t believe the people there can actually say what might have changed on their end, or what, precisely, now needs to change in the form.

I’ll keep you posted.

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Thanks again, Tim. I’ll see if I can get my hands on a sample of a PHP script that works today.

I really appreciate your help. Really. (And certainly your, too, Dave.)

Laura

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Hi Laura, The example SMTP server address in the action is ‘relay- hosting.secureserver.net’. Your address (‘LXH0101.uslec.net’) also follows this sub-domain, domain, extension format so, if correct, should also be OK. Regards, Tim.

On 2 Sep 2010, at 14:54, LauraB wrote:

I dropped the LXH0101.uslec.net address I’d previously been given into the now-fixed area on the PHP Feedback Form. I didn’t include relay-hosting. prior to the server name. Is that also supposed to be there?

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It’s working again! I don’t know why. This morning when I tested with Tim’s corrected code, it continued to balk. Then I had to leave for several hours. I came back and voila, all was well. I’ve printed out the working go-php code so that I can compare it side by side with what previously had been fine.

We’ve had no communication from Paetec, so if they did something, then they’re keeping it to themselves.

For now, though, I’m just going to relax and celebrate with a glass of wine this evening.

Tim and Dave, again, thank you both so very much for your input. I hope not to have to raise any PHP issues for a really, really long time. Whew.

Laura

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Glad to hear it.

D

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Hi Laura, I’m glad it is up and running at last. When you get a chance can you send me a copy of the -go.php file please so I can log this against your host just in case the issue arises again? Enjoy the wine, you’ve earned it! Regards, Tim.

On 2 Sep 2010, at 21:42, LauraB wrote:

It’s working again! I don’t know why. This morning when I tested with Tim’s corrected code, it continued to balk. Then I had to leave for several hours. I came back and voila, all was well. I’ve printed out the working go-php code so that I can compare it side by side with what previously had been fine.

We’ve had no communication from Paetec, so if they did something, then they’re keeping it to themselves.

For now, though, I’m just going to relax and celebrate with a glass of wine this evening.

Tim and Dave, again, thank you both so very much for your input. I hope not to have to raise any PHP issues for a really, really long time. Whew.

Laura

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Tim, I can send you an RTF file I made from the originally working go-php code, and an RTF of the newly altered and once again working go-php code.

Where should I send those?

Laura

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