Joomla PHP error within page content

Question

Warning: Parameter 3 to showBlogSection() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/smartsta/public_html/includes/Cache/Lite/Function.php on line 100

I'm getting the above error displaying within my content areas on my Joomla site all a sudden, any suggestions?

Update: No such luck finding access to defined file and directory within godaddy ftp file directory, ftp, or Joomal C-panel. Within FTP, I cannot find access to this particular file to investigate what is on line 100. Within the Joomla panel, in Global Configurations, I was able to toggle 'error message' to none for atleast this error to be hidden. Within the cache directory I do not see any options to get into the folder, though it displays. I also see this at the bottom of that c-panel screen, but just links to a joomla help site, and within the fields I do not see described area to toggle 'ON or OFF' "Following PHP Server Settings are not optimal for Security and it is recommended to change them: PHP register_globals setting is ON instead of OFF "

Update2!:

I've found the file in question, below is the code. Line 100 only states:

global $$object_123456789;

application/x-httpd-php Function.php PHP script text

<?php

/**
* This class extends Cache_Lite and can be used to cache the result and output of functions/methods
*
* This class is completly inspired from Sebastian Bergmann's
* PEAR/Cache_Function class. This is only an adaptation to
* Cache_Lite
*
* There are some examples in the 'docs/examples' file
* Technical choices are described in the 'docs/technical' file
*
* @package Cache_Lite
* @version $Id: Function.php 47 2005-09-15 02:55:27Z rhuk $
* @author Sebastian BERGMANN <sb@sebastian-bergmann.de>
* @author Fabien MARTY <fab@php.net>
*/

// no direct access
defined( '_VALID_MOS' ) or die( 'Restricted access' );

require_once( $mosConfig_absolute_path . '/includes/Cache/Lite.php' );

class Cache_Lite_Function extends Cache_Lite
{

    // --- Private properties ---

    /**
    * Default cache group for function caching
    *
    * @var string $_defaultGroup
    */
    var $_defaultGroup = 'Cache_Lite_Function';

    // --- Public methods ----

    /**
    * Constructor
    *
    * $options is an assoc. To have a look at availables options,
    * see the constructor of the Cache_Lite class in 'Cache_Lite.php'
    *
    * Comparing to Cache_Lite constructor, there is another option :
    * $options = array(
    *    (...) see Cache_Lite constructor
    *    'defaultGroup' => default cache group for function caching (string)
    * );
    *
    * @param array $options options
    * @access public
    */
    function Cache_Lite_Function($options = array(NULL))
    {
        if (isset($options['defaultGroup'])) {
            $this->_defaultGroup = $options['defaultGroup'];
        }
        $this->Cache_Lite($options);
    }

    /**
    * Calls a cacheable function or method (or not if there is already a cache for it)
    *
    * Arguments of this method are read with func_get_args. So it doesn't appear
    * in the function definition. Synopsis :
    * call('functionName', $arg1, $arg2, ...)
    * (arg1, arg2... are arguments of 'functionName')
    *
    * @return mixed result of the function/method
    * @access public
    */
    function call()
    {
        $arguments = func_get_args();
        $id = serialize($arguments); // Generate a cache id
        if (!$this->_fileNameProtection) {
            $id = md5($id);
            // if fileNameProtection is set to false, then the id has to be hashed
            // because it's a very bad file name in most cases
        }
        $data = $this->get($id, $this->_defaultGroup);
        if ($data !== false) {
            $array = unserialize($data);
            $output = $array['output'];
            $result = $array['result'];
        } else {
            ob_start();
            ob_implicit_flush(false);
            $target = array_shift($arguments);
            if (strstr($target, '::')) { // classname::staticMethod
                list($class, $method) = explode('::', $target);
                $result = call_user_func_array(array($class, $method), $arguments);
            } else if (strstr($target, '->')) { // object->method
                // use a stupid name ($objet_123456789 because) of problems when the object
                // name is the same as this var name
                list($object_123456789, $method) = explode('->', $target);
                global $$object_123456789;
                $result = call_user_func_array(array($$object_123456789, $method), $arguments);
            } else { // function
                $result = call_user_func_array($target, $arguments);
            }
            $output = ob_get_contents();
            ob_end_clean();
            $array['output'] = $output;
            $array['result'] = $result;
            $this->save(serialize($array), $id, $this->_defaultGroup);
        }
        echo($output);
        return $result;
    }

}

?>

Answer 1

It is not exactly an error. It is a warning.

Suddenly? Perhaps you have upgraded/updated your PHP version. Or changed PHP configuration to "strict mode".

The message "expected to be a reference, value given" means the called function expected to receive a reference, not a value. Look:

$something = 9;
show_section($something);
// here you are passing a variable
// this will be accepted as a reference

show_section(9);
// here you are NOT passing a reference
// here you are passing a VALUE

When you pass "by reference", the function can change the variable value... in the example above:

function show_section(&$parameter) {
    $parameter = 'changed!';
}

1. Note the ampersand symbol & before the $parameter - this is how we specify a function requires a REFERENCE.

2. AFTER the function call, in the example above, the variable $something value will be the changed! string.

---

The line throwing the error is NOT the "global" one. It is the next:

$result = call_user_func_array(array($$object_123456789, $method), $arguments);

The problem here is that the function is being called indirectly by using the "call_user_func_array" function.

A solution would be transforming all arguments into references. Suggestion:

foreach ($arguments as $count => $value)
{
    $param = 'param' . $count;
    $$param = $value;
    $arguments[$count] = &$$param;
}

Put the code above in the beginning of the call function, right after the following line:

$id = serialize($arguments);

Give this a try!