Mute PHP mysql_* deprecated errors for apache logs

Question

Wordpress is still using mysql_* functions that are deprecated so Apache's error.log file is swelling.

Is it possible somehow to ignore those specific warnings, so none of the mysql_* deprecation errors for specific project will be shown ?

For example with some .htaccess entry or PHP function.

Answer 1

Tweaking the error reporting level to hide E_DEPRECATED stuff is probably not the best option because you'll lose the ability to see that information in your own code. And PHP does not offer enough granularity to filter out deprecated notices by function or library. Your only option, I'm afraid, is to write your own custom error handler.

(Disclaimer: I don't know whether WordPress implements a custom error handler as well. If it does, you'll have to be careful in order to not break it.)

It can be tricky if you've never done it before. Among other things, you need to ensure that you're obeying error_reporting and the @ operator and you're aborting when you have to. Whatever, a simplified and not tested starting point could be this:

function ignore_mysql_deprecated($errno, $errstr, $errfile, $errline){
    if( $errno===E_DEPRECATED && preg_match('/^mysql_.+\(\): The mysql extension is deprecated and will be removed in the future/U', $errstr) ){
        // Ignore
        return true;
    }else{
        // Call standard error handler
        return false;
    }
}
set_error_handler('ignore_mysql_deprecated');

If WordPress does not offer a standard mechanism to change the error handler, you can always plug this code in with the auto_prepend_file directive.

Tested solution

To mute any mysql_ calls in your project, we have to create a mute.php file:

<?php

set_error_handler(function($errno, $errstr){
  return strpos($errstr, 'mysql_') === 0;
}, E_DEPRECATED);

and add in apache configuration following line:

php_value auto_prepend_file mute.php

Answer 2

You can hide all the deprecated warnings, but I don't think you can only avoid the mysql_* ones.

To disable it, use this in your PHP scripts (better if there's only mysql_* related code in this scripts so you don't lose any other deprecated information):

error_reporting(E_ALL ^ E_DEPRECATED);