Certainly! Disabling PHP error display via `.htaccess` can be essential for security purposes or to prevent error information from being exposed to end-users. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieving this, along with examples and sources:
To disable PHP error display through the `.htaccess` file, you need to make specific configurations that modify PHP settings directly in this file. The `.htaccess` file is a directory-level configuration file supported by the Apache web server.
1. Locate/Create the `.htaccess` File:
- The `.htaccess` file is typically located in the root directory of your website. If it does not exist, you can create it using a text editor and name it `.htaccess`.
1. Edit the `.htaccess` File:
- Open the `.htaccess` file in a text editor. If you are using a hosting service, you might need to use their file manager or an FTP client to access this file.
1. Add the PHP Settings:
- To disable error display, you will need to add the following lines to your `.htaccess` file:
\`\`\`apache
php_flag display_errors Off
php_value error_reporting 0
\`\`\`
- The `php_flag display_errors Off` directive tells PHP to turn off the display of errors.
- The `php_value error_reporting 0` directive sets the error reporting level to 0, which means no errors will be reported.
```
- php\_flag:
- This directive is used to set PHP flags. It can only be used to set flags that accept a boolean value: On or Off. In this case, turning off the `display_errors` flag will prevent errors from being displayed directly on the website.
- php\_value:
- This directive is used to set values for PHP configuration options that accept a value other than a boolean. The `error_reporting` directive is set to 0, meaning that no error messages will be generated.
According to the PHP manual, the `display_errors` ini directive controls whether errors should be printed to the screen as part of the output or if they should be hidden ([php.net – display\_errors](https://www.php.net/manual/en/errorfunc.configuration.php#ini.display-errors)). Setting this directive to `Off` ensures that no errors are shown to the end-user. Similarly, `error_reporting` can be set to configure which errors PHP reports ([php.net – error\_reporting](https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.error-reporting.php)).
Consider a scenario where maintaining a live website is critical. However, displaying errors to end-users may pose a security risk and degrade user experience. Disabling errors using `.htaccess` ensures that the error details don’t leak and are instead logged to a file that only developers have access to. For example, a WordPress site might suffer from database connection issues or plugin conflicts. Disabling error display helps prevent malicious actors from gaining insights into the inner workings of the site.
While disabling the display of errors is good for security in a production environment, it’s essential to ensure that errors are still being logged. Ensure that `log_errors` is set to `On` in your `php.ini` file and that the error log path is appropriately configured, so errors can be tracked and diagnosed by developers ([php.net – log\_errors](https://www.php.net/manual/en/errorfunc.configuration.php#ini.log-errors)).
By following these steps and understanding these directives, you can effectively manage PHP error displaying settings using `.htaccess` for a more secure and user-friendly website.
