How to fix "A PHP Error was Encountered" in CodeIgniter

What does this error mean?

CodeIgniter is a framework. A framework is a ready-made set of code that helps people build websites with PHP. PHP is the language that runs many websites.

When your code has a problem, CodeIgniter shows a box that starts with "A PHP Error was Encountered". The box is a clue. It is not the problem itself.

Read the box first

The box shows four things:

• Severity: how serious it is, such as Notice, Warning or Error.
• Message: what went wrong, in short words.
• Filename: which file has the problem.
• Line Number: the exact line in that file.

Steps to fix it

1. Write down the filename, line number and message.

   

2. Log in to your Hostvento hosting and open the File Manager, or connect with FTP. The control panel name is in your welcome email.
3. Take a backup copy of the file before you change it.
4. Open the file and go to the line from the error box.
5. Match your message to the common causes below and fix it.
6. Save the file and reload the page.

Common messages and fixes

• Undefined variable or index: your code uses a name that was never set. Set it first, or check it exists before you use it.
• Call to undefined function: a needed PHP add-on is missing, or the name is misspelled. Check the spelling and ask Hostvento support about the add-on.
• Unable to load the requested file: a file name or folder is wrong. Linux cares about capital letters, so Home.php and home.php are different.
• Database error or mysqli connection: check the database name, user and password in application/config/database.php.
• Deprecated: your code uses an old feature. Your PHP version may be newer than your CodeIgniter version. Update CodeIgniter, or ask support about choosing an older PHP version.

Hide errors on a live site

Visitors should not see these boxes. In index.php, find the line with ENVIRONMENT. Set it to production on a live site.

define('ENVIRONMENT', 'production');

This hides the error box. The errors are still saved in the log folder at application/logs, so you can read them there.

Quick recap

• The box tells you the file, the line and the message.
• Back up the file, then fix that line.
• Check spelling, capital letters, database details and PHP version.
• Use production mode on live sites and read the logs.
• Ask Hostvento support if you are stuck.