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Doc Bug #51589 DOM installation documentation is misleading
Submitted: 2010-04-18 15:09 UTC Modified: 2010-04-18 19:36 UTC
From: jameswithers89 at googlemail dot com Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: Documentation problem
PHP Version: 5.3.2 OS: Fedora 12 GNU/Linux
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
View Developer Edit
 [2010-04-18 15:09 UTC] jameswithers89 at googlemail dot com 
Description:
------------
http://www.php.net/manual/en/dom.installation.php states "There is no installation needed to use these functions; they are part of the PHP core". Unfortunately [the documentation] doesn't reference the fact that one needs (at least on Fedora 12 GNU/Linux) the package php-xml. Could this be added to the aforementioned installation page?

Test script:
---------------
N/A

Expected result:
----------------
Installation

DOM support requires php-xml. For instructions on installing this, please refer to/visit/do...etc...etc...


Actual result:
--------------
Installation

There is no installation needed to use these functions; they are part of the PHP core. DOM support may be disabled with --disable-dom.

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 [2010-04-18 15:18 UTC] degeberg@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Bogus
 [2010-04-18 15:18 UTC] degeberg@php.net 
Thank you for your report.

I don't think we can be held accountable for how Fedora and the dozens of other distributions decide to package PHP, however.
 [2010-04-18 19:36 UTC] jameswithers89 at googlemail dot com 
Agreed, it would be too cumbersome to add numerous installation instructions. However, as PHP-XML is built around an external, non-PHP library (GNOME libxml2) is it not possible to have at the least:

Requirements
No external libraries are needed to build this extension.

changed to...

Requirements
Libxml2 is required in order for any DOM feature to work. Check phpinfo()->Dom to see if libxml is installed and available.

If libxml isn't a built-in PHP feature (i.e. it is optional) then is it not safe to assume there will be some installations that don't include it? Is it also not safe to assume that users will go to the manual to find out why it's not working? Is it also not safe to assume they will find no reference to libxml/libxml2 unless they stumble across an old manual page totally unrelated to DOM specifics?
 
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