How to debug a core file without debug symbols?

PHP file outputting symbols..?

• I was coding, using AJAX and PHP. Basically the PHP echoes a word back to the page after trying to sign in. I noticed it wasn't working, so I made the word echo back out in a js alert box. It echoed lots of random symbols. I triple checked my code and it didn't reveal anything. So I backed all the code up, and started deleting bits that may cause it. Eventually there's nothing left except "<?php ?>". And it's still outputting symbols. If it helps, my original code was $username = $_POST['username']; $password = $_POST['password']; $password = md5($password); include "connect.php"; $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM members WHERE username='$username'") or die("aw"); $row = mysql_fetch_array($query); $ppassword = $row['password']; if(mysql_num_rows($query) == 0){ echo "no account"; }else if($password == $ppassword){ echo "success"; }else{ echo "wrong password"; } and it's echoing: Lo—ˆ— % %on I'm more stumped than angry to be honest xD Anyone shed some light on the situation?

• Answer:

  There is nothing "wrong" in the code you pasted, except a little incorrect syntax in your query, but mysql is quite forgiving... The error is elsewhere! LOL... You say "AJAX": I see no AJAX in that code either. It looks more like a php code that reads and deals with a form that has been previously posted.