Common Perl Errors

You have been directed to this document due to a Perl error in trying to run Postcard Direct.

The intention of this document is to provide a list of links to help with common Perl errors as well as suggesting things to check.

At present the information here is minimal, but this will be expanded after feedback on the types of errors that occur. If your error/problem is not addressed here, please email me with a description of the error.

Common Errors

• (Maybe you didn't trip carriage returns after a network transfer?)- This means that the scripts or configuration files have been transfered in binary mode. Make sure all text files are uploaded in ASCII mode. However, note that some FTP clients don't seem to handle ASCII mode very well, and it is possible that there may still be problems.
• xxx did not return a true value a /path/to/the/file - This error indicates that the indicated file has either been truncated or corrupted. The most common cause for this will be any missing semi-colons or quotes.
  Another cause can be your FTP client not performing the correct end of line conversions when FTPing the file to and from your webserver.
• Can't find string terminator '"' anywhere before EOF at .... at line x - This error indicates that you have missed a quote, have mismatched quotes (eg: $TopLevel='somevalue";), or you have added a stray quote.
• Editing any of the scripts or configuration file with an editor that changes settings. Make sure you use a plain text editor like Notepad (with word wrap turned off) to edit scripts and configuration files.

Your Webserver Environment

Generally, your Service Provider usually has the information as to the version of Perl installed and what modules are available. If you want to be sure that your environment is at the minimum standard, try using Perldiver. This is a free tool that lists as much information about your webserver and Perl environment as it can find.

Support

If you require support, use the Support Forums.

Useful Links

• Avoiding Common Oversights in Perl.