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Request #46602 Change: Accessing by [] or {} to variables of other type silently returns NULL
Submitted: 2008-11-18 08:55 UTC Modified: 2013-07-30 03:21 UTC
Votes:5
Avg. Score:3.8 ± 1.5
Reproduced:3 of 5 (60.0%)
Same Version:0 (0.0%)
Same OS:0 (0.0%)
From: bugs dot php dot net-V29nHf1_z-nsp at cvogt dot org Assigned:
Status: Wont fix Package: *General Issues
PHP Version: 5.2.6 OS:
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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 [2008-11-18 08:55 UTC] bugs dot php dot net-V29nHf1_z-nsp at cvogt dot org 
Description:
------------
As http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=41195 requested http://de2.php.net/language.types.string now mentions, accessing other types than strings, arrays or objects using the [] operator silently returns NULL.

This behavior hides bugs. There is no sensible reason to use [] on a other types than mentioned, so it should result in an error. It would make sense to trigger an E_NOTICE. However, to be gentle to backwards compatibility it could also trigger an E_STRICT instead.

The "expected result" below is only an example of a possible message.

Reproduce code:
---------------
$o = NULL;
var_dump($o[0]);

Expected result:
----------------
Notice: Undefined offset: 0 for value of type NULL
NULL

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

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 [2013-07-30 03:21 UTC] yohgaki@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Wont fix -Package: Feature/Change Request +Package: *General Issues
 [2013-07-30 03:21 UTC] yohgaki@php.net 
I agree that raising error may help debugging.
However, this behavior is not likely to be changed.

1. It breaks many codes.
2. Introducing E_DEBUG or like will create confusion.

Feel free to bring this issue to internals ML, if anyone feel this change in 
appropriate.
 
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