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Bug #22518 Accessing superglobal arrays in functions via variable variable names
Submitted: 2003-03-03 08:06 UTC Modified: 2003-03-04 04:57 UTC
Votes:2
Avg. Score:1.5 ± 0.5
Reproduced:2 of 2 (100.0%)
Same Version:1 (50.0%)
Same OS:1 (50.0%)
From: rabus at users dot sourceforge dot net Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: Scripting Engine problem
PHP Version: 5CVS-2003-03-03 (dev) OS: Windows NT
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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From: rabus at users dot sourceforge dot net
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 [2003-03-03 08:06 UTC] rabus at users dot sourceforge dot net 
Please try the following script:

<?php
function foo() {
    echo $_SERVER;
}
foo();
?>

This script returns "Array". This is the expected behavior.
Now, try this one:

<?php
function foo() {
    $bar = '_SERVER';
    echo $$bar;
}
foo();
?>

This time, an error is returned:
Notice: Undefined variable: _SERVER on line 4
This is nonsense, of course: As we see in the example above, the variable should be defined!

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 [2003-03-03 09:22 UTC] daniel dot gorski at develnet dot org 
Similar malfunction here:

<?php
  error_reporting(E_ALL);
  print_r($_SERVER);
  print_r($_ENV);
?>

PHP Notice:  Undefined variable:  _SERVER in /var/webservers/cowiki/htdocs/test.php on line 6
PHP Notice:  Undefined variable:  _ENV in /var/webservers/cowiki/htdocs/test.php on line 7

Todays CVS, build as CGI on RH6.2

regards dtg
 [2003-03-03 20:14 UTC] sniper@php.net 
RTFM:

http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.predefined.php#language.variables.predefined

"Variable variables:  Superglobals cannot be used as variable variables."
 [2003-03-04 04:57 UTC] rabus at users dot sourceforge dot net 
I am sorry for this bogus report.
Since German is my mother tounge, I read the German edition of your manual. Unfortunately, the note you mentioned is missing there.
From now on, I'll read the English one, only, since the German one appears a little out-of-date to me.
 
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