Description:
------------
function_exists() returns false on static functions
method_exists() won't work without an instance of object

many times i have a deep class hierarchy and subclasses need to call inherited static methods. instances of each ancestor class in the hierarchy do not generally exist so method_exists() doesn't solve the problem.

If this is not a bug but a feature request, then it is also a documentation bug since the manual does not mention that function_exists() does not work with class member functions, which are truly 'functions', not 'methods'. 'method' assumes a class instance.

[greg@p3 test]$ php -v
PHP 4.3.2-RC (cli) (built: Apr 25 2003 18:03:38)



Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php
class a {
    function a(){
    }
    function static_func(){
       echo ("a::static_func() - the static function really exists!\n"); 
    }
}
a::static_func();
$function_exists = function_exists("a::static_func") ? 'exists': 'does not exist';
echo ("function_exists(\"a::static_func\") thinks that: \n");
echo("a::static_func() $function_exists\n"); 
$function_exists = function_exists("static_func") ? 'exists': 'does not exist';
echo ("function_exists(\"static_func\") thinks that: \n");
echo("static_func() $function_exists\n"); 
?>


Expected result:
----------------
[greg@p3 test]$ php test.php
a::static_func() - the static function really exists!
function_exists("a::static_func") thinks that: 
a::static_func() exists
function_exists("static_func") thinks that: 
static_func() does not exist


Actual result:
--------------

[greg@p3 test]$ php test.php
a::static_func() - the static function really exists!
function_exists("a::static_func") thinks that: 
a::static_func() does not exist
function_exists("static_func") thinks that: 
static_func() does not exist