php loop error message using Twitter API

Question

I am building a Twitter client w/ php and am receiving this error message when I try to run the program. It seems something to do with the server when I run it locally? I have php instlled. I am using Aptana as my IDE. What is the issue?

$url = "https://api.twitter.com/1.1/statuses/user_timeline.json";
$requestMethod = "GET";
if (isset($_GET['user'])) {$user = $_GET['user'];} else {$user = "hello";}
if (isset($_GET['count'])) {$count = $_GET['count'];} else {$count = 20;}    
$getfield = '?screen_name=hello&count=20';
$twitter = new TwitterAPIExchange($settings);
$string = json_decode(
    $twitter->setGetfield($getfield)->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)->performRequest(), $assoc = TRUE
);

if($string["errors"][0]["message"] != "") {
    echo "<h3>Sorry, there was a problem.</h3><p>Twitter returned the following error message:</p><p><em>" . $string[errors][0]["message"] . "</em></p>";
    exit();
}

foreach($string as $items) {
    echo "Time and Date of Tweet: ".$items['created_at']."<br />";
    echo "Tweet: ". $items['text']."<br />";
    echo "Tweeted by: ". $items['user']['name']."<br />";
    echo "Screen name: ". $items['user']['screen_name']."<br />";
    echo "Followers: ". $items['user']['followers_count']."<br />";
    echo "Friends: ". $items['user']['friends_count']."<br />";
    echo "Listed: ". $items['user']['listed_count']."<br /><hr />";
}
?>

error message:

Sorry, there was a problem.

Twitter returned the following error message:

".$string[errors][0]["message"]. "
";exit();} foreach($string as $items) { echo "Time and Date of Tweet: ".$items['created_at']."
"; echo "Tweet: ". $items['text']."
"; echo "Tweeted by: ". $items['user']['name']."
"; echo "Screen name: ". $items['user']['screen_name']."
"; echo "Followers: ". $items['user']['followers_count']."
"; echo "Friends: ". $items['user']['friends_count']."
"; echo "Listed: ". $items['user']['listed_count']."

error message in view source format:

<?php
require_once('TwitterAPIExchange.php");
$settings = array(
'oauth_access...    
);
$url = "https://api.twitter.com/1.1/statuses/user_timeline.json";
$requestMethod = "GET";
if (isset($_GET['user'])) {$user = $_GET['user'];} else {$user = "iagdotme";}
if (isset($_GET['count'])) {$count = $_GET['count'];} else {$count = 20;}
$getfield = '?screen_name=iagdotme&count=20';
$twitter = new TwitterAPIExchange($settings);
$string = json_decode($twitter->setGetfield($getfield)
->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)
->performRequest(),$assoc = TRUE);
if($string["errors"][0]["message"] != "") {echo "<h3>Sorry, there was a problem.</h3>
<p>Twitter returned the following error message:</p><p><em>".$string[errors][0]["message"].
"</em></p>";exit();}
foreach($string as $items)
    {
        echo "Time and Date of Tweet: ".$items['created_at']."<br />";
        echo "Tweet: ". $items['text']."<br />";
        echo "Tweeted by: ". $items['user']['name']."<br />";
        echo "Screen name: ". $items['user']['screen_name']."<br />";
        echo "Followers: ". $items['user']['followers_count']."<br />";
        echo "Friends: ". $items['user']['friends_count']."<br />";
        echo "Listed: ". $items['user']['listed_count']."<br /><hr />";
    }
?>

there is a note that says: Saw "<?". Probable cause: Attempt to use an XML processing instruction in HTML. (XML processing instructions are not supported in HTML.)

here is the tutorial I am following: https://iag.me/socialmedia/build-your-first-twitter-app-using-php-in-8-easy-steps/

try quoting errors.... the error message you posted makes no sense. — fie, Jan 12 '17 at 04:01
Replace `$string[errors]` to `$string['errors']` and show us output again — Nick, Jan 17 '17 at 07:02
Also, include `error_reporting(-1);` at the beginning of the script, in case some revealing error is being suppressed. — alepeino, Jan 17 '17 at 17:54
Your "error message" is copied from the browser window? Try View Source instead. — miken32, Jan 18 '17 at 01:06
You should award the bounty to fpietka. This is a dupe and should have been closed: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5121495/php-code-is-not-being-executed-instead-code-shows-on-the-page — miken32, Jan 18 '17 at 01:24

fpietka · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-12T14:35:43.537

3

Based on your error message, your PHP code isn't executed at all. This is plain HTML output of your PHP code.

Your problem here might be either about configuring your web server (apache, nginx, ...) to interpret PHP, or adding a missing opening tag (<?php) before any PHP code.

edited Jan 12 '17 at 14:35

answered Jan 12 '17 at 10:25

fpietka

1,027
1
10
23

Or perhaps there's not start tag php – fie Jan 12 '17 at 14:29
That is indeed another possibility. I edit my post. – fpietka Jan 12 '17 at 14:34
there is an opening and closing tag – user1925801 Jan 18 '17 at 00:47
How do I configure the web server? – user1925801 Jan 18 '17 at 03:21
You can look at the links posted by @x01saa depending on the server you are using (apache, nginx) A good start would be a php file with only ` – fpietka Jan 18 '17 at 07:41

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 17 '17 at 20:56

I use a different method to access Twitter's API but it looks to me like you may only be requesting user IDs and not user timeline. Change the URL so it looks like this:

$url = 'https://api.twitter.com/1.1/statuses/user_timeline.json';  
$getfield = '?screen_name=J7mbo';  
$requestMethod = 'GET';  

$twitter = new TwitterAPIExchange($settings);  
echo $twitter->setGetfield($getfield)  
    ->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)  
    ->performRequest();

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 18 '17 at 23:39

That PHP can run, I was able to run that on a server that I have access to. To do so all I needed was TwitterAPIExchange.php and the PHP you submitted. Having said that, I suggest you change

$string[errors][0]["message"]

to

$string["errors"][0]["message"]

so that it can return errors correctly and also change

$getfield = '?screen_name=iagdotme&count=20';

to (note the double quotes below, those are important)

$getfield = "?screen_name=$user&count=$count";

so that you actually use the preceding variables.

The problem probably lies with running the file on your PC; I suggest finding a web hosting provider.

php loop error message using Twitter API

3 Answers3