functions register_sidebar breaks admin backend [closed]

Question

The following code in my functions.php file causes me to get a whitescreen when working in the admin area, not sure what could be wrong with this code.

<?php
if ( function_exists('register_sidebar') ) {
register_sidebar(array(
'before_widget' => '<li id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
'after_widget' => '</li>',
'before_title' => '<h2 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h2>',
));
}
?>

Answer 1

I tried this and it worked great:

function wpse_16722_widgets_init() {
    register_sidebar(array(
        'before_widget' => '<li id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
        'after_widget' => '</li>',
        'before_title' => '<h2 class="widgettitle">',
        'after_title' => '</h2>',
    ));
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'wpse_16722_widgets_init' );

If this not working try to enable WP_DEBUG in your wp-config.php

Answer 2

I had to get rid of a opening and closing php tag, i guess wordpress doesnt like it when you dont wrap all of your functions on one big php tag instead of separately wrapping them.

Answer 3

That code shouldn't break anything unless you've nested the PHP tags. In other words, you can't have one <?php inside another <?php. I am guessing that is what has happened. Most of your functions.php is PHP. You don't need to add those opening and closing PHP tags unless you actually need to enter or leave PHP.

This is OK.

<?php
function test_1() {
}

function test_2() {
}

This is OK.

This is OK, but contains unnecessary opening and closing tags. It isn't broken though.

<?php
function test_1() {
}
?>
<?php
function test_2() {
}
?>

This isn't.

<?php
function test_1() {
}

<?php
function test_2() {
}
?>

function test_3() {
}

That you have the latter is the only possibility I can see at the moment.