[Plugin: Google Analytics Dashboard] Here’s what sucks….(SimpleXML)!

  • mentis

    (@mentis)


    16 years, 10 months ago

    To all:

    I’m venting here, not specifically about this plugin because I never got to use it. But this does relate to the plugin.

    —-

    I downloaded the Google Analytics Dashboard plugin, activated it and got the following message:

    “It appears that SimpleXML is not compiled into your version of PHP. It is required for this plugin to function correctly.”

    That totally sucks! Why? Because I could care less about SimpleXML. I don’t want to learn about it. I don’t want to be forced to read a ton of information so that I understand it enough to install it. I want nothing to do with SimpleXML or any other “outside” code languages or behind-the-scenes programs.

    I don’t know how to install SimpleXML and I really don’t care to learn. But, as it turns out, this is required before I can use the Google Analytics Dashboard plugin. Which totally sucks!

    I just want the plugin to work after I install it. But it doesn’t because of the stupid SimpleXML. SimpleXML may be awesome. I don’t care about that.

    Installing a plugin only to find that it doesn’t work because you haven’t installed some other required program seems to be a growing trend with WordPress plugins. And if you really don’t care about learning the mechanics of WordPress but you also don’t want to have to pay someone every time you want a simple plugin installed, you’re pretty much screwed.

    I hate that I go through the time of researching plugins and installing them only to find that I have to then delve into learning all about some related embedded code that reads like a technical manual on how to do something really simple but is written in a foreign language.

    So basically, I guess I’m not going to use this plugin. Thanks for making it so easy to install and then NOT be able to use it!

    Scott

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Samuel B

    (@samboll)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    well the funny thing about that is most normal hosts already have it installed as part of their php package
    http://us.php.net/simplexml
    so maybe you should vent at them?
    :>)

    k_nitin_r

    (@k_nitin_r)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    The problem is with your PHP installation – you’re missing some stuff.

    Think of it as getting the alphabet with the vowels missing. Somebody who wants to say “to” wouldn’t be able to say it without the vowels because it could either be “it” or “to”.

    If this is an installation on your server, get your system administrator to fix it. If you have a hosting service, write to them complaining about their PHP setup. If it’s running on your own computer, try using XAMPP.

    Thread Starter mentis

    (@mentis)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    Samboll & k_nitin_r:

    Thanks for your replies.

    Well, as I said, my issue wasn’t specifically with this plugin because I couldn’t actually use it. I admit, I may have taken a jab at the wrong person here, but that’s clearly due to my own ignorance and general frustration…and I still claim both (ignorance and frustration).

    I don’t know what I don’t know. So if something is missing I have no way of knowing that unless someone tells me, as in this situation. And usually by then, something has gone wrong. From my viewpoint, something didn’t work as expected due to not having something else installed. This happens to me all the time with plugins lately. Naturally, I assumed the problem was due to the plugin.

    k_nitin_r,

    I like your analogy. It is very accurate to my situation. You also said:

    If this is an installation on your server, get your system administrator to fix it. If you have a hosting service, write to them complaining about their PHP setup. If it’s running on your own computer, try using XAMPP.

    I really have no idea what to do with this information. I paid someone to install WordPress because I know nothing about MySQL. Also, because my web host’s (APlus.net) easy WordPress instillation wouldn’t allow me to install WP to the root directory. It would only allow “/blog” or “wordpressblog.domain.com”. So I found a guy would could install it to the root. So I don’t know if he did something wrong or if it’s an Aplus.net issue.

    Any suggestions? I really hope I don’t end up having to pay someone to correct this. But that’s not your problem. If it’s an aplus.net problem, I may be able to get them to correct it for free if I know how or what to ask them to do.

    Thanks,
    Scott

    Samuel B

    (@samboll)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    it is really a host issue
    ask them to add the feature

    Thread Starter mentis

    (@mentis)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    Samboll,

    So I should ask them to add “SimpleXML” right?

    Scott

    Samuel B

    (@samboll)

    16 years, 10 months ago

    yes to their php installation

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘[Plugin: Google Analytics Dashboard] Here’s what sucks….(SimpleXML)!’ is closed to new replies.