TypeError: explode(): Argument #2 ($string) must be of type string, null given in /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/module-config/ViewModel/CountryFilter.php:46

[pmonosolo]

Preconditions and environment

• Magento version - 2.4.5 CE
• Visit Stores -> Configuration and see error
• Error reporting turned on
• Page shows an error
• PHP 8.1.9

Steps to reproduce

1. Login into Admin Site
2. Go to Stores->Configuration

Expected result

Configuration page visible

Actual result

Error is thrown:

TypeError: explode(): Argument #2 ($string) must be of type string, null given in /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/module-config/ViewModel/CountryFilter.php:46
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/module-config/ViewModel/CountryFilter.php(46): explode(',', NULL)
#1 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/module-config/view/adminhtml/templates/system/config/js.phtml(81): Magento\Config\ViewModel\CountryFilter->getEuCountryList()
#2 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/TemplateEngine/Php.php(71): include('/var/www/php/mo...')
#3 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/Interception/Interceptor.php(58): Magento\Framework\View\TemplateEngine\Php->render(Object(Magento\Backend\Block\Template), '/var/www/php/mo...', Array)
#4 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/Interception/Interceptor.php(138): Magento\Framework\View\TemplateEngine\Php\Interceptor->___callParent('render', Array)
#5 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/Interception/Interceptor.php(153): Magento\Framework\View\TemplateEngine\Php\Interceptor->Magento\Framework\Interception{closure}(Object(Magento\Backend\Block\Template), '/var/www/php/mo...', Array)
#6 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/TemplateEngine/Php/Interceptor.php(23): Magento\Framework\View\TemplateEngine\Php\Interceptor->___callPlugins('render', Array, Array)
#7 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Element/Template.php(263): Magento\Framework\View\TemplateEngine\Php\Interceptor->render(Object(Magento\Backend\Block\Template), '/var/www/php/mo...', Array)
#8 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Element/Template.php(293): Magento\Framework\View\Element\Template->fetchView('/var/www/php/mo...')
#9 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/module-backend/Block/Template.php(141): Magento\Framework\View\Element\Template->_toHtml()
#10 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Element/AbstractBlock.php(1095): Magento\Backend\Block\Template->_toHtml()
#11 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Element/AbstractBlock.php(1099): Magento\Framework\View\Element\AbstractBlock->Magento\Framework\View\Element{closure}()
#12 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Element/AbstractBlock.php(660): Magento\Framework\View\Element\AbstractBlock->_loadCache()
#13 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(578): Magento\Framework\View\Element\AbstractBlock->toHtml()
#14 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(555): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->_renderBlock('js.system_confi...')
#15 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(41): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderNonCachedElement('js.system_confi...')
#16 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(510): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->renderNonCachedElement('js.system_confi...')
#17 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(606): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderElement('js.system_confi...', false)
#18 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(557): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->_renderContainer('js', false)
#19 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(41): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderNonCachedElement('js')
#20 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(510): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->renderNonCachedElement('js')
#21 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(606): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderElement('js', false)
#22 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(557): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->_renderContainer('page.wrapper', false)
#23 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(41): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderNonCachedElement('page.wrapper')
#24 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(510): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->renderNonCachedElement('page.wrapper')
#25 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(606): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderElement('page.wrapper', false)
#26 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(557): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->_renderContainer('backend.page', false)
#27 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(41): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderNonCachedElement('backend.page')
#28 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(510): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->renderNonCachedElement('backend.page')
#29 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(606): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderElement('backend.page', false)
#30 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(557): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->_renderContainer('root', false)
#31 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(41): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderNonCachedElement('root')
#32 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(510): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->renderNonCachedElement('root')
#33 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Layout.php(975): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->renderElement('root')
#34 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Framework/View/Layout/Interceptor.php(50): Magento\Framework\View\Layout->getOutput()
#35 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Result/Page.php(260): Magento\Framework\View\Layout\Interceptor->getOutput()
#36 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/View/Result/Layout.php(171): Magento\Framework\View\Result\Page->render(Object(Magento\Framework\App\Response\Http\Interceptor))
#37 /var/www/php/folder/generated/code/Magento/Backend/Model/View/Result/Page/Interceptor.php(32): Magento\Framework\View\Result\Layout->renderResult(Object(Magento\Framework\App\Response\Http\Interceptor))
#38 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/App/Http.php(120): Magento\Backend\Model\View\Result\Page\Interceptor->renderResult(Object(Magento\Framework\App\Response\Http\Interceptor))
#39 /var/www/php/folder/vendor/magento/framework/App/Bootstrap.php(264): Magento\Framework\App\Http->launch()
#40 /var/www/php/folder/pub/index.php(30): Magento\Framework\App\Bootstrap->run(Object(Magento\Framework\App\Http\Interceptor))
#41 {main}

Additional information

No response

Release note

No response

Triage and priority

• Severity: S0 - Affects critical data or functionality and leaves users without workaround.
• Severity: S1 - Affects critical data or functionality and forces users to employ a workaround.
• Severity: S2 - Affects non-critical data or functionality and forces users to employ a workaround.
• Severity: S3 - Affects non-critical data or functionality and does not force users to employ a workaround.
• Severity: S4 - Affects aesthetics, professional look and feel, “quality” or “usability”.

[m2-assistant]

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[pmonosolo]

The code responsible is this:

I wonder if the list was not generated or something during the upgrade?

I've tried flushing cache and disabling it completely.

[m2-assistant]

Hi @engcom-November. Thank you for working on this issue.
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[jorgb90]

Running 2.4.5 on PHP 8.1 here and not having this issue. Perhaps some external module is altering this list?

[pmonosolo]

Running 2.4.5 on PHP 8.1 here and not having this issue. Perhaps some external module is altering this list?

Hmmm, not sure yet. Just starting to dig into this again.

So far I have:
rm -rf vendor/*

Then upgraded composer to v2 and reinstalled everything. Still getting the same error.

Found mentions of CountryFilter in two plugins:

vendor/webshopapps/module-matrixrate/src/Model/ResourceModel/Carrier/Matrixrate/Collection.php:    public function setCountryFilter($countryId)
vendor/mageside/canada-post-shipping/Model/Source/Province.php:        $this->addCountryFilter('CA');
vendor/mageside/canada-post-shipping/Model/Service/Postoffice.php:            $collection->addCountryFilter('CA')->load();

Going to try to go around them or deinstall. Will report back.

[pmonosolo]

Disabling / removing those two plugins did not work.

I assume this is a data problem - something broke when initial upgrade script ran (did not finish successfully on first try).

Going to try uploading new backup of DB and re-running the upgrade command.

[pmonosolo]

Could it be related to: #35875
?

[pmonosolo]

Hmmm same error after redoing upgrade command on new DB backup.

Must be something else.

Tried this:

And the page pulled up right away.

[pmonosolo]

Checked the DB:

Looks like the values are empty. Are they supposed to be any other way?

On Magento 2.4.3 site in production now, these values are unchecked (no countries chosen):

And "Use system value" is unchecked.

[pmonosolo]

After doing this:

Then going to General -> Countries -> European Union Countries -> Clicking "Use system value"

Then undoing the code back to initial state:

The page now shows up correctly:

Then when I rerun the MySQL query for same field:

It shows 0 results.

So it must be that when no EU countries are selected, it created the field with NULL, but then NULL is not accepted by the code.

[pmonosolo]

I think this was a bug somewhere in 2.4.3, or in the earlier version of Magento 2.3.3 which the site went through that the values were not defaulted when you uncheck them and uncheck "Use system value".

Now on 2.4.5 when you uncheck the "Use System Value" it defaults the fields to:

If you uncheck all those countries and save again, it puts them back in.

UPDATE:
Yes, confirmed 2.4.3 does not default the values, it nulls them when "Use System Value" is unchecked.

When 2.4.5 upgrade happens it expects the value not to be NULL, thats where the issue is coming from.