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PHP Debugging question

I am new to PHP, so this is a newbie question. Let's say I have this code:

$.ajax({
	url: "somepage.php",
        .
        .
  })

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"somepage.php" is a page that accesses the database and returns results via an "echo" statement.

My question is, what PHP commands do PHP developers use to debug "somepage.php"? For example, let's say I just wanted to see the value in a variable, how do I output it the way you'd use console.log() in JavaScript? I can't use "echo" because PHP will treat it as output being sent to the calling page.

Thanks.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Marco Gasi

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elepil

ASKER

To Marco Gasi. You said:

Otherwise, if you find problem, you can serializaze your variables and echo them as result of the script and use javascript to put them in the console.

How do I serialize my variables?

Marco Gasi

You can just create an array with the variables you want to debug and then echoing it using json_encode:

$arr = array("firstname" => $firstname, "lastname" => $lastname, and so on);
echo json_encode($arr);

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Then in your javascript:

$.ajax({
	url: "somepage.php",
        . ,
        . ,
        dataType: 'json',
        success: function(result){
             $(result).each(function(key, value){
                  console.log(key + ' = ' + value);
             }
        }
        ...
  })

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elepil

ASKER

Marco, I tried to install FirePHP. The instructions in firephp.org talk about a FirePHPCore folder that I am supposed to put in my application root. Problem is, I can't find that folder! When I installed it in my Firefox, it never asked me for any install directory, it just added FirePHP, and I can see it as an add-on. I tried doing a disk search through Windows Explorer for "FirePHPCore" and found nothing.

Where the heck is that folder??

SOLUTION

Scott Fell

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Marco Gasi

Hi elepil.
Go here to download FirePhp: http://www.firephp.org/HQ/Install.htm
You can follow this tutorial: I followed it me too.

elepil

ASKER

Marco. I've already installed both FireBug and FirePHP. It is apparent to me from code samples that I need FirePHPCore, something I could not find nor download (because one of the links in the page you referred me to led to Page Not Found).

It's not that I don't know how to use it, because it seems simple. I think all I need to do is put FirePHPCore folder somewhere in my application root, then "include" it in any page I want to debug, then use its FD::log/info/warn/error static methods. My problem is I can't find FirePHPCore.

elepil

ASKER

To Scott Fel. Thanks for responding.

The only times I've had to use Network was when I needed to look into headers information or when I needed to see the incoming data in its raw format. If I were debugging an "off-by-one" situation within a small piece of code in the page, I don't see how Network would help.

Scott Fell

The network also shows the response generated. There are tabs for header,preview, response,timing. However, I find it easier to just surf to the somepage.php and fiddler with different querystrings to view the response.

SOLUTION

Tom Beck

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Marco Gasi

That's way I posted that link: just click on Download link and you'll get all needed files.

elepil

ASKER

I found a good one called ChromePhp. But FirePhp is something to keep in mind. Thanks to all who responded.