Switch Joomla to PHP 7 - Help with Errors

At the turn of the year, PHP 5.6 will be discontinued by many web hosting providers.
Joomla websites running older versions will then stop working, because Joomla has only been compatible with PHP 7 since version 3.5. We help you switch to PHP 7.3 and explain possible issues that may arise during the update.

We fix minor issues from €59 as part of our 30-minute support right away.

/!\ Attention: If you are still using Joomla 2.5 it is essential to perform an update to Joomla 3.10.12 as a mandatory requirement.

PHP Warning in the Joomla Backend

Since Joomla 3.7, a warning notice has been shown in the admin area to highlight an outdated PHP version. The following warning appears if the web server is running PHP 7.0 or lower.

If a PHP version <= 5.5 is still in use, the warning becomes an actual error. PHP 5.5 has not received any security updates since July 10, 2016.

An overview of the support periods for the individual versions from the official source:
http://php.net/supported-versions.php

Why You Should Update PHP

• Noticeably better performance (speed boost of more than 50%)
• Higher Google PageSpeed score thanks to shorter server response times
• Ongoing version maintenance - greater security
• Long-term support from web hosting providers

Update Joomla PHP Version - Preparations

To update your Joomla website to PHP 7.3 without unpleasant surprises, a few requirements need to be met. If the following points are fulfilled, the error rate during the PHP update remains low:

• Use of the current Joomla version (currently 3.10.12)
• A PHP7-compatible template
• Extensions that are fully up to date

The actual version switch is then carried out in the customer menu/control panel of your web hosting provider. If in doubt, search your provider’s help section on this topic or contact customer service.

Possible Problems - Typical Error Messages (PHP Errors)

Problems during PHP execution usually result in a white page or an error message (Fatal Error) on an otherwise completely blank page. How to make the error visible is described in a separate blog article described.

Common Problems

Error: Using $this when not in object context

Often the solution: JSite::getMenu(); replace in the template with JFactory::getApplication()->getMenu(); .

Error: [] operator not supportet for strings

Solution: The relevant variable must be initialized with $variable = array(); instead of $variable = ''; .

• Prev
• Next