Random Internal Server Errors

[ZachH]

Hi

I've made a site that gathers information from a couple of search engines. The site usually works just fine, but somethime there is a problem. The problem I get random Internal Server Errors. Not every time just every 10 times the script runs. It is completely random, it does not matter which parameters are used. You can run the script with the exact same parameters 10 times and 1 of them will generate an Internal Server Error.

I’m using fopen() to retrieve the information from the search engines. I used to use a combination of file_exists and file(), but someone told me that fopen() was better.

So what on earth can I do? I presume the Internal Server Error comes when the script cannot get in touch with the Search Engines. This knowledge does not help me a lot because I don’t know what to do with it.

Is there some kind of Error Handling that can help me?

Or is there a problem with the host? The reason why asking about the host because I never get this error when I do it on my local machine.

You can see the site here: Statbrain.com

I’ve tried everything so please help me, I’m completely lost.

[sde]

Hi Zach, welcome to the site.

It is really difficult to help you without seeing the code that you are opening the file with. I haven't explored the possibilities of getting fopen to work for you, but here is an alternative method.

file() reads the file given in the argument into an array. each line is a new element of the array. then you can impode the array into a new string. see the code below. if the file is not there, it will not generate an internal error.

PHP Code:

<?
// file() reads the target into an array
$file_array = @file("http://codenewbie.com/no-file-exists.php");

// create string
if(is_array($file)){
  $file_text = implode("\n",$file_array);
}

// now do other stuff with $file_text
?>

HTH

[ZachH]

Hi Sde

Thank you for your answer.

I was wondering, if this line fails for some reason:
$file_array = @file("http://codenewbie.com/no-file-exists.php");

What happens then do I get an Internal Server Error or does the script just move on?

[idx]

The @ supresses the error and continues.

-r

[sde]

the script just moves on .. the is_array() function will return false, and as idx says, the @ before the function will supress the error.

[ZachH]

Will the @ also supress an Internal Server Error?

[sde]

i don't think so .. internal server error will make the script stop running.