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Bug #33579 Functions not usable when require()'d from parent later in a child.
Submitted: 2005-07-05 23:37 UTC Modified: 2005-07-06 18:40 UTC
From: aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com Assigned:
Status: Not a bug Package: Scripting Engine problem
PHP Version: 4.4.0 OS: Gentoo Linux 1.6.12
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
 [2005-07-05 23:37 UTC] aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com
Description:
------------
When a parent document requires a source file and then requires a second file that requires the same as above it cannot access the functions in the already required file from the parent, but cannot use or redefine the functions that are required.
Using code that "if (!defined("_FUNCS_INC_")) { define("_FUNCS_INC_", true); function Bleh($Bloop) { return $Bloop; } } // _FUNCS_INC_".
This is a problem because the _FUNCS_INC_ is defined as well as the functions defined inside of the scope of the document though function_exists will return false and calling the function will obviously fail for that reason, I cannot redefine those functions in the sub-document or I'll get "Cannot redefine function bleh"... even though I can't use it.
Though it is easy enough to work around the issue (With the "if (!defined())" stuff require_once doesn't even make it work BTW) I'm reorganizing several hundred files, at least 1/3 of which are includes which need to be re-ordered.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php // Funcs.inc
if (!defined("_FUNCS_INC_")) {
  define("_FUNCS_INC_", true);

  function Bleh() { printf("Blah\n"); }
} // _FUNCS_INC_
?>

<?php // DB.inc
require("Funcs.inc");
Bleh();
?>

<?php // Header.inc
require("Funcs.inc");
require("DB.inc");

Bleh(); // Won't error
?>

Expected result:
----------------
Blah\n
Blah\n

Actual result:
--------------
Fatal error: Call to undefined function: bleh() in /var/www/localhost/includes/DB.inc on line 3

Patches

Pull Requests

History

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 [2005-07-06 00:42 UTC] tony2001@php.net
Sorry, but your problem does not imply a bug in PHP itself.  For a
list of more appropriate places to ask for help using PHP, please
visit http://www.php.net/support.php as this bug system is not the
appropriate forum for asking support questions.  Due to the volume
of reports we can not explain in detail here why your report is not
a bug.  The support channels will be able to provide an explanation
for you.

Thank you for your interest in PHP.

Works just fine with all versions I can test right now (4.3, 4.4, 5.0, 5.1 etc.).
 [2005-07-06 01:30 UTC] aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com
http://wwwtest.amberalert911.net/debug.php

debug.php includes funcs.inc

funcs.inc includes emails.inc global.inc

emails.inc includes db.inc funcs.inc forms.inc MailServer.inc

db.inc includes funcs.inc global.inc

forms.inc includes db.inc

As you can see, it's not working as you defined.  If this is not a bug with PHP, perhaps it's a bug in Apache?

I was able to execute my example via the command line PHP, but not the debug.php via the command line.  Not sure what the difference really is.  The example is much simpler of course.

All of the listed files are quite large, no smaller than 200 lines each so I'm not going to post them here, but look at the URI listed above.
 [2005-07-06 01:42 UTC] aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com
Here's an update to the code, this reproduces the "Bug".

<?php // Test.php
require("Header.inc");
Bleh();
?>

<?php // Header.inc
require("Funcs.inc");
require("Emails.inc");

Bleh(); // Won't error
?>

<?php // Funcs.inc
if (!defined("_FUNCS_INC_")) {
  define("_FUNCS_INC_", true);

  require("DB.inc");

  function Bleh() { printf("Blah\n"); }
} // _FUNCS_INC_
?>

<?php // Emails.inc
if (!defined("_EMAILS_INC_")) {
  define("_EMAILS_INC_", true);

  require("DB.inc");
} // _EMAILS_INC_
?>

<?php // DB.inc
if (!defined("_DB_INC_")) {
  define("_DB_INC_", true);

  require("Funcs.inc");

  Bleh();
} // _DB_INC_
?>
 [2005-07-06 01:51 UTC] sniper@php.net
Sorry, but your problem does not imply a bug in PHP itself.  For a
list of more appropriate places to ask for help using PHP, please
visit http://www.php.net/support.php as this bug system is not the
appropriate forum for asking support questions.  Due to the volume
of reports we can not explain in detail here why your report is not
a bug.  The support channels will be able to provide an explanation
for you.

Thank you for your interest in PHP.

Try nuke those stupid define()'s and use require_once() instead..

 [2005-07-06 03:04 UTC] aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com
It is obvious you have no idea what is going on and the reason they need to be there.

I may from one page load one include instead of another.  I'm not going to use ugly stupid code when there are hundreds of files to update merely to work around this bug.

There is a problem here and it is within the PHP engine.  I'm sorry that you do not wish to fix it.

I sincerely hope you people are more helpful to others.

Thanks anyway for not looking into the issue.
 [2005-07-06 07:22 UTC] rasmus@php.net
Do you understand that require_once/include_once does exactly the same as these define checks you are using to prevent multiple exclusion?  

In your particular example you are doing a conditional function definition (since it is inside an if clause) which means the function needs to be defined at runtime and cannot be added at compile-time.  This usually shouldn't matter, but you are trying to call the function before you define it.  In Funcs.inc you require DB.inc which calls Bleh() and then after that require you define the Bleh() function.  This simply won't work, and it isn't a bug.  If you are doing to do conditional function definitions, you *must* define your functions before you try to call them.

So yes, we understand perfectly what is going on.  If you look at the bug number for this bug, you might notice that this is number 33579.  That's a lot of "bugs".  We really can't take the time to explain each one like this.  If we say something isn't a bug, 99.9% of the time, it isn't.  The occasional one slips through, of course, but in most cases, including this one, it is simple user error that is better explained on one of the many support lists.
 [2005-07-06 18:40 UTC] aarondoom at cookiedoom dot com
Thank you for clarifying that.

Your answer is acceptable.
 
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