How to trace CakePHP errors using the error.log

Question

I have a production environment working and I would like to know which errors or problems takes place on it which I can not reproduce in my testing environment.

For it, I am trying to make use of the error.log located in cakephp/app/tmp/ folder but I am not able to understand some of those errors or even know where exactly in the code do they take place.

For example:

2013-07-24 10:26:49 Error: [MissingActionException] Action TablesController::fancybox() could not be found.

#0 C:\inetpub\wwwroot\lib\Cake\Routing\Dispatcher.php(186): Controller->invokeAction(Object(CakeRequest))

#1 C:\inetpub\wwwroot\lib\Cake\Routing\Dispatcher.php(161): Dispatcher->_invoke(Object(TablesController), Object(CakeRequest), Object(CakeResponse))

#2 C:\inetpub\wwwroot\app\webroot\index.php(92): Dispatcher->dispatch(Object(CakeRequest), Object(CakeResponse)) #3 C:\inetpub\wwwroot\index.php(42): require('C:\inetpub\wwwr...') #4 {main}

Where is the error coming from? Where am I suppose to to be calling the fancybox() function? In which file and line? I can not trace it with those indications.

Is there any way to read this properly? Am I missing something?

Answer 1

Where is the error coming from?

The error message reports that TablesController::fancybox() could not be found

That means there is a request for a url of the form /tables/fancybox/.... was made.

Most likely this is a 404 request generated by a js library loaded by the page. To identify these errors - simply open e.g. chrome's network panel in developer tools and reload the page. Anything in red indicates a request for something that returned an error - and something to fix.

The information of what is making the request will also be in the apache access/error log - the referer is the initiator responsible for making these erroneous requests.