[Resolved] Warning: Illegal string offset 'get'

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[PaulS4783]

I am using the classified sample site (WPML version)
All OTGS plugins updated to latest versions.

On the Add a new Free Ad page I am seeing this message at top of the screen.

Warning: Illegal string offset 'get' in /mysite/public_html/webdomain/devel/automarket/wp-content/plugins/toolset-classifieds/inc/toolset-classifieds.class.php on line 498

[Nigel]

Hi Paul

We have existing reports of this, which have been given the status "Won't fix" because the problem arises with the toolset-classifieds plugin which is used to provide some custom functionality and it has been decided to re-design the Classifieds reference site to work only with standard Toolset plugins and without custom code. Any functionality that requires custom code will be removed.

So please proceed with caution, knowing that the toolset-classifieds plugin is deprecated.

I'm adding a request internally to update the relevant pages to make that clear.

[PaulS4783]

That's what I thought.
Which leaves me with two questions.

1) How to use the existing classified's site.
I assume the simple fix is to simply suppress the error warnings.
i.e. by adding

ini_set('display_errors','Off');
ini_set('error_reporting', E_ALL );
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
 

to the wp-config.php file

??

2) How to proceed in the future?
Will ToolSet provide an upgrade path or tutorial to those of use using the existing Classifieds sites?

[Nigel]

Hi Paul

1. yes, you can not display the warnings or only output them in the log file (rather than on the screen)

2. my understanding is that the Classifieds reference site was somewhat ill-conceived. The intention was to demonstrate some of the capabilities of Toolset in a practical example, and where there were some gaps in the functionality these were plugged using custom code that was added in a standalone plugin. It wasn't the intention to create a fully-fledged classified ads site to be used in production (for that you would almost certainly be better off using one of several dedicated classified ad themes available on Theme Forest). So there won't be an upgrade path as such. Any new classifieds reference site is likely to have reduced functionality compared to the current version, making it a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

Again, if your intention is to create a production classified ads site, I wouldn't recommend using the reference site, which is intended for illustration.

[PaulS4783]

Again, if your intention is to create a production classified ads site, I wouldn't recommend using the reference site, which is intended for illustration.

That's quite disappointing.

I assume one option would be for us to port all the Classifieds custom code into a Custom plugin and maintain it ourselves.
If so, I assume the only code we need to be concerned with is that which is within the "Toolset Classifieds" plugin?
Any advice on how long support for this extension plugin is going to continue being maintained by Toolset?

[Nigel]

Hi Paul

I spoke at length with my colleagues, trying to pin down an unambiguous statement about this, because anything else doesn't help you.

Toolset is about making tools for developers of websites, not about building such websites ourselves.

As such it is right to characterise the reference sites as learning resources. It was probably a mistake to add bespoke code to the Classifieds Reference site to add functionality that wasn't possible with Toolset alone, but in any case we won't continue with it that way.

So the Classifieds site will be redeveloped to remove such functionality (but also to add new functionality that can be achieved with Toolset alone, such as adding ads to maps).

We will look at fixing the PHP warning that you initially reported with an update soon, but we won't provide ongoing support for the deprecated plugin. That becomes particularly problematic if you expand on what's there with your own additions and customisations.

It doesn't make sense for us to say that we will support it for another 6 months and encourage you to go ahead and use it, only for it to break for some reason in 7 months time.

So, you are welcome to study it, adapt it, use parts of it or build upon it, but we will only be supporting the features of the Classifieds site that depend on the core Toolset plugins.

That's probably not what you were hoping to hear, but I worked hard to get a definitive statement of what to expect so that you can plan accordingly.

[PaulS4783]

I understand your statement that you aren't going to maintain the Extension plugin.
What I am saying is, would it be viable to continue with this project in production by:
a) Updating the "core ToolSet plugins" as those plugins become available.
b) Maintaining the extension plugin ourselves (or hiring a ToolSet developer to do so).

[Nigel]

Yes, I believe so, updating core plugins shouldn't break anything, and where they do (it can happen) as long as the issue is a generic issue and not related to some customisation you have done then such issues would be fixed.

Your responsibility (whether you did it yourself or paid someone to do it) would be to make any changes required to the extended plugin where it failed to work in some way, whether that was because of an update to Toolset plugins, WPML, 3rd party plugins, or even WordPress itself.

Whether that is a good idea (vs. the alternative of using a dedicated Classified Ads theme) depends on how far down the road of developing the site you are already.

[PaulS4783]

Already pretty far down the road with using the Classified theme.

I've had a quick look at the Classifed Extension plugin code.
From what I can gather it looks like the extension adds two things.
- Messaging functionality
- Managing "Ad Packages"

Is there anything else that the Extension plugin brings to the project?

If it's just those two things we might be able to disable the Extension plugin
and use a different 3rd party plugin solution (or write a custom plugin ourself).

[Nigel]

Those are the two features that the plugin adds, yes.

If you disable the plugin you should be able to verify that the other features work as expected.

[PaulS4783]

You may close this ticket.