A server PHP upgrade has stopped my site from working

[BooJewels]

I have an on-line store using CubeCart 3 - I'd never bothered upgrading to a later version as I simply liked it as it was, it was easy to use, my customers liked it and after some mods and making my own skin, I was happy with it and it served me well.

My web hosts have upgraded PHP to version 5.3 overnight (from 5.2) on the servers and my shop and site is now seriously compromised - the top of each page is filled with lines of error code and the functionality has disappeared. I can't even log in to my admin panel.

I didn't install CubeCart myself, it's a script available through the host that you just choose to install from Cpanel - so I have limited access to stuff 'under the hood' - I can't even log in to my admin panel at the moment to tell you exactly which version I have etc.

The hosts response when I asked how I could get help to fix it was (and this was all they said):

The CubeCart developers should be able to help you get your CubeCart install upto date and compatable with PHP 5.3.

It was seemingly my task to already do this before the upgrade, but as a layperson I simply didn't understand the implications of a PHP upgrade or expect it to stop my site working entirely.

This is my site, I'd really appreciate any guidance anyone can give as to how I might start to sort it out, at the moment it feels totally beyond my ability to even understand. I'm not a developer, but a jewellery maker and I simply don't know where to start. It's just coming up to the busiest time of year and this is my livelihood, so I must sort it with some urgency. I'd appreciate any help you can offer.

http://www.boo-creations.co.uk/shop/index.php

[bsmither]

Welcome BooJewels! Glad to see you made it to the forums.

PHP 5.3 made a few of the PHP functions "deprecated", meaning these functions are not to be used anymore. PHP gives out these warnings, but the code can still use deprecated functions. Eventually, there will be a PHP version where these functions won't be available at all.

In the meantime, if you search these forums for the word "deprecated", you will find instructions on what you need to to do to tell PHP to not issue these warnings. You might also want to search www.cubecartforums.org.

Even though your CubeCart was installed as a script, your Cpanel control panel has an FTP utility that you can use to get a copy of the file you need to edit. The control panel may even have its own editor that you can use to edit the file directly at your hosted file space.

If you need help, please send me a personal message.

[BooJewels]

Many thanks for the help - it's truly appreciated. The funny thing is, that before I even registered I did search for the problem - in the past that has usually answered my query without needing to ask questions. I followed the forum rules on searching and didn't search with too generic a term and came up with 0 results for every search - including the very specific error messages. Now I search for "deprecated" which is a pretty generic term, it turns up all sorts of replies, some relevant, some not - and many including the very terms I searched on.

PHP 5.3 made a few of the PHP functions "deprecated", meaning these functions are not to be used anymore. PHP gives out these warnings, but the code can still use deprecated functions. Eventually, there will be a PHP version where these functions won't be available at all.

If I remove the code that gives rise to the warnings (as per some of the replies I've found) - will the site still function correctly? As even if I ignore the warnings on the site at present, I can navigate it, but if I add something to the cart, I get a page of errors and nothing else and if I navigate back to the main store front, I can now see the item in my cart - so clearly that functionality is impaired even if you ignore the warnings at the top of every page.

Even though your CubeCart was installed as a script, your Cpanel control panel has an FTP utility that you can use to get a copy of the file you need to edit. The control panel may even have its own editor that you can use to edit the file directly at your hosted file space.

I think I can get at the files in my ftp software and I have plain text editors to amend the files as required. I've done it before with the basic mods I've done - I download two copies, one into a backup directory in case I need to restore the original and a copy to amend and re-upload.

I need to be somewhere for an hour, so I'll arm myself with some strong coffee and some peace and quiet later and try and work through correcting this problem, although at the moment I feel totally overwhelmed and am struggling to even understand some of the replies. I'm sure to be back as there seem to be several errors showing that I'll just have to work through as I encounter them.

Many thanks.

[BooJewels]

I'll arm myself with some strong coffee and some peace and quiet later and try and work through correcting this problem, although at the moment I feel totally overwhelmed and am struggling to even understand some of the replies. I'm sure to be back as there seem to be several errors showing that I'll just have to work through as I encounter them.

I worked through this post with your own replies about disabling the deprecated error reporting in ini.inc.php and thankfully - even though there appeared to be a host of errors interfering with functionality - that simple change alone appears to have actually fixed it. I've since tried editing the home page (I had a sale announcement that had expired and needed removing), removed the shop from sale mode and edited a couple of listings for sold items etc. and even played customer and added and removed stuff from my cart, searched for items etc. and it all appears to now be working as expected.

You have no idea how thrilled I am that such an easy change has actually seemingly solved this for me, I was full of dread at trying to fathom this problem out and was worried that I simply didn't have the skills to overcome it. That I've cured it by editing only one line of a document was the best outcome that I could possibly have hoped for.

I'm sorry that I had to trouble you by asking an already answered question, but searching earlier simply didn't give me any results. I've just tried again now and using terms like "eregi() is deprecated" returns no results and tells me I'm searching for 'words which are not allowed' - I had thought that was a sensible enough search.

Many, many thanks, I'm most grateful. Phew. Just need to get my blood pressure back down again.