Map Issues

Map not appearing

This happens when there is a problem with the JavaScript coding. This can happen if you do not have all of the PHP modules necessary to run the plugin or if you have an older version of PHP running your site. You can check the Store Locator Plus settings page to see what version of PHP you are using.

The plugin requires:

* PHP v5.1 with SimpleXML enabled

* PHP v5.2 or higher has SimpleXML built in by default

Using Firebug To Debug Map Display Issues

We strongly recommend using Firefox with the Firebug plugin to track down any problems with the CSS or JavaScript on your site. 90% of the problems with the map not appearing are due to either bad JavaScript prior to the Store Locator code being called, or themes the overtake all image output. The map is very image heavy using hundreds of small images from Google's server to draw the map. If your theme does not play well with images it can override the settings we've built into the plugin.

JavaScript Problems

Issues with the JavaScript part of the plugin usually manifest themselves by showing the search form but either a blank map, a map that is all gray, or a map that appears but search does not work. To debug these issues use the Firebug add-on with Firefox as noted above.

Store Locator Plus map rendering is primarily driven by a pair of JavaScript files the work closely together. The store-locator-js.php file sets up the environment. That plugin has error reporting disabled as it can cause problems for the site if general PHP errors are encountered. You can change that setting during debugging sessions by going to the plugin editor. Look for the store-locator-js.php file, and edit the first line of code to read error_reporting(1). When you are done debugging set it back to error_reporting(0).

If there are php problems with the plugin you will see them by surfing to your map page, then looking at the console tab in Firebug.

The PHP JavaScript connector did not load

We have come across this error on several installations. The short answer to this problem is that something in the WordPress installation prevented the Store Locator Plus JavaScript component from loading. This means that the map system cannot communicate with Google. This prevents the map from appearing and search results from working properly on your locations page.

Here are some issues we've come across that cause this to happen:

  • PHP version is < 5.2, this generates an error message that you will not see in the browser. Any error message will prevent the JavaScript PHP file from loading.
  • PHP Error Reporting Enabled, if PHP error reporting is enabled and ANY PLUGIN has bugs, uses deprecated WordPress functions, or uses deprecated PHP functions they will generate an error message. This error message can be hidden in the browser if the error happens in something that is creating page header information. This will also break the page loading process and prevent the JavaScript PHP from loading.
  • Plugin Errors, any plugin that does not load properly and does ANYTHING with page header output will break and thus cause a domino effect prevent the Store Locator Plus PHP JavaScript component from loading.

In many cases the cause of the maps not loading is because our PHP JavaScript file could not load. We can often detect this and popup the "PHP JavaScript connector did not load" warning. However we cannot catch all errors.

One of the best tools for searching for errors in the HTML page headers is to use Firefox with the Firebug plugin. Turn on the console and check the responses tab for any errors. We have resolved many client installation and map problems with this pluging. More often than not we are finding errors in other plugins, themes, or server configuration settings on the servers. No, our plugin is not perfect and is not 100% bug free (we wish it were) but we are no longer finding bugs in our plugin as the primary culprit in broke installations.

The PHP JavaScript page header is a critical part of a working Store Locator Plus installation. Since it loads very late in the page creation process it is susceptible to failures from almost anything else you may be loading on the page or your WordPress site. The the map is not loading and you are receiving this message get some page debugging/tracking tools like Firebug and isolate any plugins that are generating coding/output errors.

Manage Location Issues

Manage Locations not showing locations

The initial release of the plugin had some coding errors that prevented the plugin from showing locations when certain characters were present or if the list was too long. v1.4 and higher has resolved many of these issues.

You Do Not Have Sufficient Permissions

If you are getting the message "you do not have sufficient permissions to access this page" when trying to access the "Manage Locations" or "Map Settings" page, but "Add Locations " is working it is because another plugin is interfering with the submenu management module in WordPress. You will likely find that any plugin that has a separate sidebar menu with multiple entries underneath will only work on the first entry. There is little we can do to remedy the situation without risking breaking other plugins. We suggest deactivating other plugins, one-at-a-time, until you find the plugin causing problems then ask them to rewrite their menu and submenu process and admin panel filters to ensure the basic menu system remains intact.

Currently we know of these plugins that break the submenu module:
WP Shopping Cart v3.7.6.1 - possibly newer versions as well.

Map Settings Issue

You Do Not Have Sufficient Permissions

See the same topic in "Manage Location Issues" above.

General Troubleshooting

Here are some documents to help with general licensing and activation issue:

firebug_debugging.png (29.6 kB) Lance Cleveland, 03/26/2011 10:30 am