PHP Fatal error: Uncaught ValueError: Unknown format specifier “a”

Hello Borja,

Thank you for trying the plugin. It looks like the problem may originate in the translation of the phrase, Contact us on %1$sthe support forum%2$s or read %3$sthe plugin FAQ%4$s for help.

I checked the translation of this phrase for several languages https://translate.www.ads-software.com/projects/wp-plugins/flexible-checkout-fields/stable/, and it seems to be ok.

Could you tell me do you translate your site and therefore the plugin into any language? If so, please tell me which one, and I will verify the correctness of the translation in www.ads-software.com.

If you translate our plugin using another plugin, please check if the strings %1$s, %2$s, %3$s, %4$s are included in the translation.

If they are not there, you will need to add them as they appear in the source phrase.

Hello, thank you for your quick response.

Indeed we are using a very popular translation plugin such as WPML.

The translation strings seem fine. Likewise, if I put a return false in the function, my code no longer fails. You can also try containing the function with a try-catch.

I am very grateful to you in advance.

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by Borja Abad.

Hi Borja,

Many thanks for that screen showing that translation to Spanish is not as it should be.

Could you take a look at %1$s and %3$s.? In the translation, you used %1$el, which should be %1$s.

The same is with %3$las it should be %3$s.

This last letter “s” is also part of the placeholder. Please, make this changes and run a test.

Hello rzepsen, thanks for your help, we have solved the problem.

The strange thing here is that we have never translated those strings manually or touched that configuration, which comes by default. We have also not had this problem before with WPML and use it on other websites.

There seem to be many threads from many plugins with the same problems when updating to php8.

https://wpml.org/errata/php-8-php-fatal-error-uncaught-valueerror-unknown-format-specifier-in/

https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/under-php-8-0-uncaught-valueerror-unknown-format-specifier-s-solved/

I guess containing that possible error will help other users.

Receives a warm greeting.

Hi Borja,

It’s great to hear that problem was solved. It is difficult to determine what, if anything, actually replaced placeholders in the translations.

Changing the PHP version to 8 displayed this error. I suspect that this problem previously occurred, only PHP version 7.4 did not display it.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Thaks for all!

Ok Borja

I mark this thread as resolved.