If I passed the recordset's field to the "switch" operator then Apache fails:

----- cut here (begin) -----
Apache.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

szAppName : Apache.exe     szAppVer : 0.0.0.0     szModName : ntdll.dll     
szModVer : 5.1.2600.1106     offset : 00001d24     
----- cut here (end) -----

The following script can be used to reproduce the problem:

----- cut here (begin) -----
<?
// establish connection to database
$conn = new COM("ADODB.Connection");
$conn->ConnectionString = 
    "driver={SQL Server}; " .
    "server=127.0.0.1; " .
    "database=mydatabase; " .
    "uid=sa; " .
    "Trusted_Connection=Yes";
$conn->ConnectionTimeout = 15;
$conn->CommandTimeout = 30;
$conn->Open();

// select some data
$rset = new COM("ADODB.Recordset");
$rset = $conn->Execute("select myfield from mytable");

if (!$rset->eof)
{
    // on the line below Apache will be failed
    switch ($rset->fields["myfield"]->value)
    {
        // ...
    }
}
?>
----- cut here (end) -----

This problem can be avoided in the following way:

----- cut here (begin) -----
    $value = $rset->fields["myfield"]->value;
    switch ($value)
    {
        // ...
    }
----- cut here (end) -----

As far as I can see this is the PHP's bug. Please let me know if I wrong. Below is some information about my workstation:

MS Windows XP Professional SP1
MS SQL Server 2000 SP3
Apache 1.3.27 (installed like a service)
PHP 4.3.1

If you need some additional information (e.g. some settings from "php.ini") please feel free to ask me.

Best regards, Artem Rodygin.
-----------
Rhonda Ltd.
Vladivostok
Russia