Build 2.02 Beta 1: Upload Error Reporting

Hi Perch,

That certainly shouldn't be happen! Unfortunately, I can't reproduce this locally, despite trying a bunch of different options on my web server.

Would you be willing to send me your FTP details and CMS login info in a private message? Hopefully I'll be able to fix this up so you never have another upload problem ever again! :)

Hi Perch,

It sounds like an issue with server limits. What are the values listed under:
Admin > General > Upload Folder Url > Show server upload limits

If we know what server limit is causing the issue it will be easier for us to reproduce the issue locally.

Hi, Dave -

As I mentioned to Chris via email, the stated server limit is 8mb. However, in practice, it's nothing like that. Any file above 1.5mb causes a problem. Crucially, setting the "Maximum Upload Size" parameter to a value lower than this does not solve the issue. When the file is above a certain threshold, the server responds before the script by rejecting the file whilst displaying a generic failure message.

As I said in my initial post, this can be mind-boggling annoying because the client then assumes there's a problem with the site. The error message doesn't back-up my explanation that the image upload is too big.

:0(

Perch

Hmm, my next guess is your memory limit imposed by your host is low.

If you go to this page: admin.php?menu=admin&action=phpinfo

And search for: memory_limit

What's it say?

Hi, Dave -

The "local value" is 128m. The "master value" is 40m.

Perch

NB: For the record, this is a 1&1 Business hosting package.

We'll have to go through the settings one by one to track it down. The web host may be killing the process after it exceeds 2megs and monitoring that outside of PHP.

Have you sent your server details to chris@interactivetools.com yet? Feel free to CC me and we can take a look.

Note: Don't post server details to the forum.

Hi Perch,

Thanks for the login info! I've done some testing and found I was able to upload a 3.7 MB image to your CMS Builder, but only after turning off resizing and thumbnailing. This is indicative of a memory restriction problem.

Can you talk to your host about this? They should be able to analyse exactly why their server is throwing this error and tell you which resource limitation needs to be relaxed. Maybe try asking them exactly what your memory and CPU limits are, since you suspect that the 40MB shown by phpinfo isn't the only limitation.

I've added a new feature (which should be in the next beta) which checks file-sizes on the client-side -- this means that if you set your CMSB upload field to have a file-size restriction, the uploader won't even try to upload files above the specified size. I've also improved the error reporting for client-side problems. I think this will solve your Joe Client problem. :)

Please let me know how things work out when you get your hands on the next beta. I hope it helps!

Chris,

Thanks for taking this approach. I think that all of us techies forget that our clients don't have our patience, our intrigue with the process or our excitement of discovery.

It's good to be reminded of that reality from time to time.

As CMSB matures, I'd like to see a bit more focus on the user perspective.

For example, it would be nice if the same type of collapsing menu groupss were available on the section editor side of things. that way the client could see a much less daunting list of fields in a complex editor.

Eventually I wouldn't mind the ability to place fields along side each other instead of just one after another. I'm thinking of First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name fields for example. or Start date/End date, etc.

Keep up the good work,

Jerry Kornbluth

Hi, Chris -

Thanks for support and the updates. I would also like to echo Jerry's thoughts. In fact, it was for precisely this reason that I wanted a fix for the problem.

It's important to remember that a CMSB-based site is exactly the time of product you would develop for a client who doesn't possess web skills. That's why accurate/detailed error reporting is crucial - because it's the client who sees the messages, not the developer.

:0)
Perch