How to: Reporting Issues
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This document discusses how to report issues with WordPress. It covers basic troubleshooting steps like defining the problem, reproducing it, identifying solutions, and testing solutions. It also reviews determining if an issue is a bug and the process for reporting bugs to WordPress Trac or forums. Key steps for reporting include providing a detailed description and steps to reproduce the issue along with relevant version information.
How to: Reporting Issues
- 1. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! HOW-TO: REPORTING ISSUES WP201: Do-it-yourself Track Follow John Havlik @mtekkmonkey
- 2. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • WordPress user since 2005 • Plugin developer since 2006 • Maintain Breadcrumb NavXT • Administrator for Weblogs.us • Blog: mtekk.us About Me
- 3. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Basic troubleshooting • Is it a bug? • Reporting your find • Using Trac • Using the Forums Overview
- 5. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Troubleshooting is a systematic search for the root cause of an issue • Often necessary for solving issues in complex systems (WordPress) Basic Troubleshooting
- 6. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Five basic steps: 1. Define the problem 2. Reproduce the problem 3. Identify possible solutions 4. Test possible solutions 5. Evaluate results • Iterate these steps until the problem is solved The Steps
- 7. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! 1. Misbehaving plugins 2. Misbehaving themes 3. Improperly configured WordPress install 4. Improperly configured server • Cause majority of WordPress related issues The Usual Suspects
- 8. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • “White Screen of Death” • Fatal memory error • Internal server error (Error 500) • Headers already sent error Common Problems
- 9. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Disable all plugins • If this fixed it, re-enable one-by-one to find the culprit • Change theme to Twenty Ten (WP 3.0+) • If this fixed it, look at your theme’s functions.php file • Re-upload the WordPress core files Common Remedies
- 10. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Think critically, not magically • Always start with the simplest and most likely cause • Try undoing your most recent actions • Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck Troubleshooting Tips
- 11. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Error messages can be helpful • Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting T_OLD_FUNCTION or T_FUNCTION or T_VAR or ‘}’ in /wp- content/plugins/breadcrumb-navxt/breadcrumb_navxt_admin.php on line 53 • Error messages can be misleading • Warning: strpos() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in /wp-admin/includes/media.php on line 310 • Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /wp-config.php:34) in /path/blog/wp-login.php on line 42 More Tips
- 13. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Check the documentation • codex.wordpress.org • Plugin/theme author’s plugin/theme page • Check the forums • wordpress.org/support Is it a BUG?
- 14. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Intermittent behavior is very difficult to fix • Create a list of steps to trigger the bug • Try them on a “clean slate” Is it Reproducible?
- 16. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • For WordPress issues: • WordPress Trac (general) • security@wordpress.org (security) • For plugin/theme issues: • WordPress.org forums • Developer’s page for the plugin/theme Reporting Your Find
- 17. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Provide instructions to reproduce the bug • Provide as much detail as you can • Always include the version of WordPress • For plugin/theme issues: • Include the plugin/theme version Things to Remember
- 19. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • http://core.trac.wordpress.org • Login using your wordpress.org credentials Using Trac
- 20. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! 1. Search for your bug • If an existing ticket exists: • Don’t open a new ticket • Add a note providing more information 2. Open a ticket Reporting Bugs Using Trac
- 21. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! Opening a Trac Ticket •Summary – Keep it concise •Description – Full detail •Severity – If in doubt, leave this alone •Version & Component – The WordPress version, and component the bug was found in.
- 23. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • For Plugins and Themes • Go to the extension’s wordpress.org/extend page • E.g. wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-lynx • Click on the “others are saying” link • Click on the “Add New” link on the next page Using the Forums
- 24. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! Starting a New Topic •Fill out Topic title describing the issue •Set Version to the WordPress version you experience the issue in •Message should contain: •Steps to reproduce •Version of the plugin/theme •Add additional tags if appropriate •Don’t remove what was automatically inserted •Don’t change the section •Check the subscribe box
- 25. www.WordCampMSP.org Tweetaboutthissession#WordCampMSP!!! • Check in on your tickets/forum topics • Many times more information is needed • Fixes may be made need testing Final Thoughts