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Doc Bug #32536 Unserialize() and booleans
Submitted: 2005-04-01 17:09 UTC Modified: 2005-04-04 12:40 UTC
From: AxelLuttgens at swing dot be Assigned:
Status: Closed Package: Documentation problem
PHP Version: 4.3.10 OS: n/a
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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 [2005-04-01 17:09 UTC] AxelLuttgens at swing dot be 
Description:
------------
The docs state that unserialize() may return an integer, float, string, array or object.

But it may also return a boolean:

$bool = TRUE;
$serbool = serialize($bool);
$unserbool = unserialize($serbool);
echo $serbool, '/', gettype($unserbool), '/', $unserbool? 'TRUE': 'FALSE';
--> b:1;/boolean/TRUE

Changing TRUE to FALSE in the above yields:

--> b:0;/boolean/FALSE

The problem is that a FALSE value is by itself undistinguishable from an unserialization error, not that unserialize() cant' return a boolean.

HTH,
Axel

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 [2005-04-01 17:14 UTC] vrana@php.net 
This bug has been fixed in the documentation's XML sources. Since the
online and downloadable versions of the documentation need some time
to get updated, we would like to ask you to be a bit patient.

Thank you for the report, and for helping us make our documentation better.
 [2005-04-01 17:30 UTC] didou@php.net 
I think we really should add the last sentence of Axel 
before closing the bug.
 [2005-04-04 11:19 UTC] vrana@php.net 
This bug has been fixed in the documentation's XML sources. Since the
online and downloadable versions of the documentation need some time
to get updated, we would like to ask you to be a bit patient.

Thank you for the report, and for helping us make our documentation better.

"FALSE is returned both in the case of an error and if unserializing the serialized FALSE value. This special case can be catched by comparing str parameter with serialize(false) or by catching the issued E_NOTICE."
 [2005-04-04 12:40 UTC] AxelLuttgens at swing dot be 
And many thanks to both of you, vrana and didou!

Axel
 
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