Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ewraysure
Thanks for your reply.
The two websites to which they are referring did have PHP, but the version appears to now be out of date.
They were created using WebPlus.
I am in the process of converting them both to Xara, but was unaware that there was potentially an issue with PHP when constructing websites using Xara. Nor that Xara did not support PHP.
Since then I read Robert Turners article 'Can I insert PHP into Xara' - which frankly I didn't understand. (insert what code. You go into far more detail etc)
Fasthosts have generously allowed me an extra month to incorporate PHP into the websites, but I have been tied up with another project until now.
So I am left grappling with a problem that I didn't know existed when I bought Xara.
As @pauland and I have already said, you can upgrade to PHP7.4 at no cost and no ongoing support.
For your legacy site, just try that and check if anything breaks. If it does, go back to the older PHP version.
We are talking about a couple of clicks here. I had similar with all my WordPress sites and clicked to up-version and all just happened.
Your WebPlus design probably has some search or dropdown feature it creates through PHP. If these fail you are not losing everything and you then know what your priorities are.
Xara does support PHP; it just does not need it in its designs.
Xara delivers static HTML code; you augment it through the use of Third-party Widgets or PHP modules. Third-party modules are hosted remote to your provider and it is there responsibility to keep PHP current.
If anyone has First-party Widgets (installed on your server) or PHP server-side code, then they need to configure PHP to version 7.4. There is a difference between a website (HTML / PHP code) and the hosting environment (web server / PHP engine). If you use PHP code, your environment needs to have a supportable PHP engine.
If you want to include PHP modules from other parties, I have explain that there is a mechanism to do this.
Rob's article underpins this. He stated
Quote:
Xara hosting unfortunately does not support PHP pages or Databases.
Xara hosting is a web hosting service, run by Magix, and nothing to do with the Xara Desktop Application.
Xara hosting is naff at best and is "designed" to avoid any concept of coding or programming.
You can ignore all that as you are using Fasthosts.
Acorn
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
You are completely misunderstanding the communication.
They will only charge you if you remain with the outdated version of PHP currently enabled on your webhost. If you change the version of PHP to the current version ( using your hosting panel) then there will be no charge.
You do not need to use PHP on your Xara sites. No need to use a .php extension. No need to use PHP in a placeholder. No need to pay more if you go to your hosting panel and change the PHP version that is enabled.
Most often people use PHP as a web responder for contact forms.
You were never being bullied, you were simply being warned about the costs of using an out-of-service (obsolete) version of PHP and the costs of not upgrading.
So are you saying that if I recreate the same website using Xara instead of WebPlus that I don't need to use PHP.
(Or am I completely misunderstanding your communication)
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ewraysure
So are you saying that if I recreate the same website using Xara instead of WebPlus that I don't need to use PHP.
(Or am I completely misunderstanding your communication)
You don't need to use PHP with Xara.
You DO need to change your PHP version even if you don't use it otherwise you will be charged.
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Please bear with me. I'm old, dull and find it difficult to assimilate stuff.
After trying to grips with this, may I raise the following stupid question:
"If you are not currently running anything that requires PHP then the web server can enable PHP and it should not effect your site."
I'm not running any widgets on the site.
Are Fasthosts in effect saying that "you may not have any widgets, but WebPlus has incorporated old versions of PHP into your website anyway and we are reacting to this".
If this is the case, if I recreate the website using Xara, and don't use any widgets, do I still need to bother with PHP?
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
First step:
Does Fasthost allow access to cPanel? - No. Skip the rest and wait for a different answer.
Does Fasthost allow access to cPanel? - Yes. Login and find the section that says 'Select PHP Version' under the software tab.
Under Current PHP Version, use the drop down box and choose 7.3 or 7.4. Don't worry about all the tick boxes underneath. Repeat on both your sites.
Go and check that your sites still work.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ewraysure
Please bear with me. I'm old, dull and find it difficult to assimilate stuff.
After trying to grips with this, may I raise the following stupid question:
"If you are not currently running anything that requires PHP then the web server can enable PHP and it should not effect your site."
I'm not running any widgets on the site.
Are Fasthosts in effect saying that "you may not have any widgets, but WebPlus has incorporated old versions of PHP into your website anyway and we are reacting to this".
If this is the case, if I recreate the website using Xara, and don't use any widgets, do I still need to bother with PHP?
What fasthosts are saying is (in essence)..
Your web hosting includes PHP. It includes PHP whether you use it or not. We will not check if you use it, we don't care if you use it but it is there for your use as part of your hosting package.
Your web hosting settings include a section about the PHP that is included in your hosting. It says what version of PHP is to be used by any PHP code that is run. The current setting on your web hosting is for an old version of PHP that no longer has free support. If you do not go to your web host settings and change that setting to a more modern version that has free support we will support the old version for you and charge you whether you use it or not. PLEASE GO NOW AND CHANGE THE PHP VERSION or we will charge you.
I have attached below what I see on my hosting dashboard for IONOS. Your hosting will have something similar in function. I can control which version is used on each domain.
Attachment 129351 Attachment 129352
Good luck.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
I should have used pictures like Paul...so here they are. cPanel:
Attachment 129353 Attachment 129354
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
miaaudreyogl
Hi there you need to know if you have any sites using PHP?
Mia, welcome to TalkGraphics. You do not have any Xara software and you have a hobby of reading. How then does your Post contribute to this discussion when your question was already addressed and answered?
Acorn
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
@Acorn
Thanks for the explanation.
What is frustrating is that I knew zilch about PHP.
Yesterday, I watched some YouTube tutorials (not the 6 hour one!) to get to grips with it and printed out and read some essays from the Internet.
I've checked my Xara 300+ page manual and entered PHP into 'Help'. There doesn't seem to be ANY information about it. And little on this forum - I searched 'PHP', but suspect that wasn't long enough for any results, and found only a couple of queries.
It's only been the help of you guys that has explained what I should do - and for that I'm more than grateful.
But whoever it is who provide my Xara program are providing poor back-up in my book. It seems as though you have had to delve deeply into the program to see what it's capable of - and are then prepared to give of your time and expertise for novices like meself.
Kudos!
Re: Incorporatring PHP into Xara website
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pauland
You are completely misunderstanding the communication.
They will only charge you if you remain with the outdated version of PHP currently enabled on your webhost. If you change the version of PHP to the current version ( using your hosting panel) then there will be no charge.
You were never being bullied, you were simply being warned about the costs of using an out-of-service (obsolete) version of PHP and the costs of not upgrading.
Just so as you know, I completely understood what you wrote in those first three lines.
Furthermore, you yourself wrote "If you do not go to your web host settings and change that setting to a more modern version that has free support we will support the old version for you and charge you whether you use it or not. PLEASE GO NOW AND CHANGE THE PHP VERSION or we will charge you."
To me this IS bullying. It's attempting to obtain money for something I can change for free.