Stack Overflow

Can anyone suggest what is happening here?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Last week one of my sites developed a problem where occasionally, when a link is clicked on the home page, I get the error message:

"Stack Overflow at line: 69"

It doesn't happen all the time and when it does happen the user is directed correctly to the relevant link when the error window is closed down.

Anyone any ideas what this is all about?

[EBear]

Are you using Javascript? Are others having the same problem (if not, the problem could be with your browser or av s/w)?

A stack overflow is caused by a program running out of available memory, usually as a result of bad coding (e.g. a function calling itself indefinitely).

Google the string and you'll get quite a few explanations, including these two:

[support.microsoft.com ]
[webdeveloper.com ]

Mods, I presume these links are within the TOS. They're both my sites.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Thanks EBear but I had already checked this out and I cannot see what is happening. At first I thought it was a local thing then, while looking at my site from aonther location, I noticed that it was also occurring there.

The puzzling thing is that I cannot seem to tie it down to any Javascript and the line to which it refers is actually a comment?

[kaled]

Are you using frames? If yes, does your code require these frames to load in a logical order? If yes, that's probably the cause.

Kaled.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

No, I am not using frames either.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Bump.

[john_k]

Is this a javascript error or a server-side error? Usually javascript errors include the line number as a separate field, and not as part of the error message text.

If it is a javascript error, then the line number can refer to the primary HTML, or to any externally referenced javascript files. If the error is displayed in the browser (as opposed to a pop-up message box), then it is a server-side error.

Either way, you should inspect the variables or identifiers being used on line 69 of the relevant source file. As EBear pointed out, a stack over flow occurs because too many functions are being called with no returns. Usually that is because of recursive or circular function calls that have run amuk.

If that doesn't get it straightened out, then you will probably need to post some relevant code.

[edit]I forgot to mention: line numbers reported with a javascript error may be off by 1. So determine which file it is referring to (primary HTML or external javascript file) and then check out reported line number as well as the lines immediately before and after that line number.[/edit]

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

TYVM for the contribution John. I think the problem has cleared and I am still not sure what was causing it. I did a bit of editing and stuck in a couple of linebreaks to see if the line number that was being referenced would change. When I tried it again I could not get the fault to reoccur.

Looks like it was one of those unexplained things that happen now and again.

[edited by: BlobFisk at 1:17 pm (utc) on May 20, 2005]
[edit reason] Removed Stickymail call [/edit]

[BlobFisk]

IE tends to make a mess of line number indicators in JS errors. Firefox, thankfully, does not. It shows the correct line number as well as giving a more accurate error message.

HTH

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I spoke too soon, the problem is back again. I tried placing a few blank lines in around line 69 but the error still returns the same line number.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Getting stranger. I have just noticed that the error only occurs in Internet Explorer. It's OK on Firefox, Opera and Netscape?

[HadaAbeche]

For what its worth.....Just today I started getting Stack Overflow at Line 0 ....Only getting it on my Internet Explorer also. FireFox and Netscape=good.

[john_k]

It bears repeating:

If that doesn't get it straightened out, then you will probably need to post some relevant code.

You have a loop of some type. Your variables don't contain what you expect them to. The loop never quits.

Is it a javascript error? Once again, javascript errors always display in a separate message box and usually display the line as a separate element of the error message. Something like:

Error: Stack Overflow
Line: 69
File: [yourdomain.com...]

Are there any externally referenced scripts? Line 69 can be in one of those. Or it can be in the primary resource. (the error message will ALWAYS name the primary resource regardless of which file the error is in)

Server errors will be displayed by the brower just like a regular web page.

Which type of error is yours: javascript or server?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

John, from what you say it must be a server error because it just displays as an IE error message box woth no reference to any external file.

[BlobFisk]

If it was a server error it would happen in all browsers - this sounds like a client side script problem.

[john_k]

...displays as an IE error message box...

That's what I meant by separate message box.

...no reference to any external file.

The javascript error messages never reference external files. They may reference the URL of the page you are viewing (primary resource). Whether or not they show the URL of the primary resource is not related to where the error occurred. It is just a matter of how the browser wants to format its javascript error message box. IE has at least two different formats that it uses to report errors in a message box.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

As a matter of interest I think I have finally found the problem with this. I was running two copies of a small script each of which was doing the same thing. I must have accidentally pasted this script into my page twice.