[Website Settings] added "Highlights" entries throw Uncaught TypeError in Highlight.php

[krga]

Valid Title

• I have updated the title to accurately reflect the bug description

Description

When adding two "Highlights" entries in Website Settings of default theme will lead to a thrown Uncaught TypeError in lib/pkp/classes/highlight/Highlight.php:150 and empty (white) journal start page.

Steps to Reproduce

1. add two "Highlights" entries in Website Settings
2. Navigate to/reload journal start page

Expected Result

Journal start page should be loaded without issues, Highlights should be shown.

Actual Result

Journal start page is rendered empty. An Uncaught TypeError is thrown and shown in the www-error.log

Environment Details

• OJS: 3.5 RC 2 - default theme
• OS platform: Linux
• PHP version: 8.2.25
• Apache version: Apache/2.4.37 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) OpenSSL/1.1.1k
• Database driver: mysql
• Database server version: 10.6.17-MariaDB-log

Application Version

OJS 3.5 RC 2

Logs

[17-Apr-2025 12:10:01 Europe/Zurich] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: PKP\highlight\Highlight::getLocalizedUrlText(): Return value must be of type string, null returned in /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/highlight/Highlight.php:150
Stack trace:
#0 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/cache/t_compile/00a0a0910209607cb33eb0fe6474f30ed7399ed7^22a4d55f8495a7cece78f83344c098366646ca72_0.app.frontendcomponentshighlights.tpl.php(57): PKP\highlight\Highlight->getLocalizedUrlText()
#1 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_template_resource_base.php(123): content_6800d370c58e70_88019160()
#2 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_template_compiled.php(114): Smarty_Template_Resource_Base->getRenderedTemplateCode()
#3 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php(217): Smarty_Template_Compiled->render()
#4 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php(386): Smarty_Internal_Template->render()
#5 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/cache/t_compile/00a0a0910209607cb33eb0fe6474f30ed7399ed7^e64e579388e5615e11e939b12134d6ae8679eba6_0.app.frontendpagesindexJournal.tpl.php(38): Smarty_Internal_Template->_subTemplateRender()
#6 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_template_resource_base.php(123): content_67f7dc444c7c20_77395158()
#7 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_template_compiled.php(114): Smarty_Template_Resource_Base->getRenderedTemplateCode()
#8 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_template.php(217): Smarty_Template_Compiled->render()
#9 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php(238): Smarty_Internal_Template->render()
#10 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/smarty/smarty/libs/sysplugins/smarty_internal_templatebase.php(134): Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase->_execute()
#11 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/template/PKPTemplateManager.php(1476): Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase->display()
#12 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/pages/index/IndexHandler.php(83): PKP\template\PKPTemplateManager->display()
#13 [internal function]: APP\pages\index\IndexHandler->index()
#14 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPRouter.php(327): call_user_func()
#15 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPPageRouter.php(249): PKP\core\PKPRouter->_authorizeInitializeAndCallRequest()
#16 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/core/Dispatcher.php(157): PKP\core\PKPPageRouter->route()
#17 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPApplication.php(422): PKP\core\Dispatcher->dispatch()
#18 /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/index.php(21): PKP\core\PKPApplication->execute()
#19 {main}
  thrown in /www/ojs-3.5.0rc2/lib/pkp/classes/highlight/Highlight.php on line 150

Additional Information

No response

Pull Requests

pkp-lib

• pkp-lib main: pkp/pkp-lib#11286 make urlText field required for highlights #11288
• pkp-lib 3.5: pkp/pkp-lib#11286 make urlText field required for highlights #11287
• pkp-lib 3.4: pkp/pkp-lib#11286 make urlText field required for highlights #11289

submodule updates

• OJS 3.4: submodule update ##kaitlinnewson/11286-3_4_0## ojs#4851
• OMP 3.4: submodule update ##kaitlinnewson/11286-3_4_0## omp#1968
• OPS 3.4: submodule update ##kaitlinnewson/11286-3_4_0## ops#967

[kaitlinnewson]

Hi @krga, thanks for the report - I was able to reproduce this by creating a highlight but leaving the "button label" field empty.

[kaitlinnewson]

Hi @bozana, can you review the small PRs above? I did the PR to 3.4 as well although the highlights functionality doesn't seem fully complete there (e.g. missing the database tables needed by default) and is behind a feature flag in the config file.

[bozana]

Hi @kaitlinnewson, could you also provide the submodule updates for stable-3_4_0?

[kaitlinnewson]

Hi @bozana, apologies for missing those, they are now added to the list above, thanks!

[bozana]

Thanks a lot @kaitlinnewson!
All, merged, can this issue be closed?