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Bug #50225 count() on undefined var does not trigger NOTICE
Submitted: 2009-11-19 07:54 UTC Modified: 2009-11-19 18:18 UTC
From: josh dot ribakoff at gmail dot com Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: Scripting Engine problem
PHP Version: 5.3.0 OS: Windows Vista
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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 [2009-11-19 07:54 UTC] josh dot ribakoff at gmail dot com 
Description:
------------
Example A "compiles" and B does not (E_NOTICE).

Invoking an array index on NULL *probably* warrants my attention more than doing so on an array.

It has cost me countless hours, for one.

Reproduce code:
---------------
// A
$foo = null;
count( $foo['bar'] );

// B
$foo = array();
count( $foo['bar'] );


Expected result:
----------------
2 E_NOTICE errors

Actual result:
--------------
1 E_NOTICE error

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 [2009-11-19 08:32 UTC] jani@php.net 
Thank you for taking the time to write to us, but this is not
a bug. Please double-check the documentation available at
http://www.php.net/manual/ and the instructions on how to report
a bug at http://bugs.php.net/how-to-report.php

RTFM: 

http://php.net/count 

"There is one exception, if var  is NULL, 0 will be returned."

http://php.net/array

"Converting NULL to an array results in an empty array." 

See also bug #44821
 [2009-11-19 18:18 UTC] josh dot ribakoff at gmail dot com 
I disagree with your explanation because $foo['bar'] is never created as $foo still equals NULL according to my debugger.

And to quote the manual:

"Note: Attempting to access an array key which has not been defined is the same as accessing any other undefined variable: an E_NOTICE-level error message will be issued, and the result will be NULL. "

I did RTFM, and it never said anything about trying to access a variable causing it to be created. The explanation left in the related bug you referenced is probably more accurate

"Note: Accessing variables of other types using [] or {} silently returns NULL. "

Even if this is "by design" I still think it should generate a NOTICE, where could I read about the design decisions of why it was done the way it was? And would it be appropriate to re-categorize this as a feature suggestion or do you guys not want to hear about it?
 
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