Joomla 3.8 Vs Output Buffering - Off or On?

[Chacapamac]

With Joomla 3.8 up, do you really need Output Buffering Off ?

I try to turn it off (without Success) in my htaccess with the addition of this line
output_buffering = OFF;

I will contact my hosting, but before i like to understand why it should be off on Joomla and the consequences to keep it On...

Can somebody explain ?

Happy New Year everybody —

[AMurray]

http://web.archive.org/web/201012160353 ... ners-guide

The above is a reasonable introductory, (but aimed more at web developers), explanation of what Output Buffering is and what it does (I'm none the wiser really)....but is not a specific answer to the question about why it needs to be off for Joomla installations.

I'd also be interested in seeing an explanation from a Joomla expert.

[AMurray]

You used the incorrect syntax for .htaccess to turn the buffering off; try this instead:

Code: Select all

php_value output_buffering Off

[Chacapamac]

Thanks Murray for your answer, I try

Code: Select all

php_value output_buffering Off

at the end of my htaccess and it didn’t work, it seem that the default server settings, in this case, override my htaccess?


The clearer definition I find about Output_Buffering is:

USING THE OUTPUT_BUFFERING DIRECTIVE

By default, when PHP processes a script, it sends output to the client in multiple chunks until script processing is complete. You can change this behavior and set PHP to buffer output during script processing instead.

When output buffering is enabled, PHP sends all of the output to the client only after script processing is complete. There are two main reasons why you may want to do this:

Output buffering enables you to send headers to the client after PHP has started processing a script.
Output buffering may improve site performance.

I Like that more in depth explanation:
https://www.sitepoint.com/php-streaming ... explained/

[DaveOzric]

I find this strange no one has actually answered this question. SiteGround has it enabled on their shared hosting.

Can the Joomla developers answer this?

[DaveOzric]

Anyone?

[AMurray]

The post is 2 years old.......can't find anything as to why Output Buffering is "good" or "bad". Only programmers would understand the hows, and whys.

Searching "why does joomla recommend output buffering Off" - all it returns is this forum question as the #1 top listed search result and not much else. A lot of "how" to turn it off, but not much on "why".

Short answer: I don't know
Long answer: see Short Answer.

[sozzled]

I agree with @AMurray. I found a few search results about the pros and cons of output buffering here: https://google.com/search?q=%22output+bufferi ... ood+or+bad

It's a very technical subject and most people would agree that the answer (one way or the other) is on a need-to-know-basis. OB usually doesn't interfere with a normal website—i.e. ninety-nine out of hundred sites—but there's always going to be that one site where it's a hindrance and you need a workaround.

I've never needed to know the answer. BTW, my websites don't use OB but it wasn't something I explicitly turned off.