#25879 [Opn->Bgs]: SORT_ASC when passed into a function can NOT be passed as a string

[mgf@php.net]

ID: 25879
Updated by: [email]mgf@php.net[/email]
Reported By: it at oh-barcelona dot com
-Status: Open
+Status: Bogus
Bug Type: Variables related
Operating System: Windows
PHP Version: 4.3.2
New Comment:

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

SORT_ASC, SORT_DESC, etc. are constants, not strings, so just treat
them as if they were numeric values:

$sortFlag = SORT_ASC;
$new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',$sortFlag)




Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2003-10-15 08:25:18] it at oh-barcelona dot com

Description:
------------
Hello,
I've found a perplexing bug with sorting flags. When you create a
function to create (for example) an dynamic array_multisort() and one
of the arguements which is passed is a SORT_ASC (or any other flag)
which is used to create the array_multisort() it MUST be passed without
quotes and not as a string.

In the example below you will see that if you gettype() of the $arg the
SORT_DESC returns an integer not a string when passed without quotes
and a string with.

If the SORT flag is passed as a string the array_multisort acts as if
it were null.

This stops me from setting the SORT flag via if statement.

I have written a work around but this problem should be addressed
because if you settype() a string it becomes "0".

The function call is:
$ new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',SORT_DESC)

The function does not work if you use:
$sortFlag = "SORT_ASC";
$ new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',$sortFlag )



Reproduce code:
---------------
function array_column_sort(){
$args = func_get_args();
$array = array_shift($args);
// make a temporary copy of array for which will fix the
// keys to be strings, so that array_multisort() doesn't
// destroy them
$array_mod = array();
foreach ($array as $key => $value)
$array_mod['_' . $key] = $value;

$i = 0;
$multi_sort_line = "return array_multisort( ";
foreach ($args as $arg) {
$i++;
if ( is_string($arg) ){
foreach ($array_mod as $row_key => $row){
$sort_array[$i][] = $row[$arg];
}
}else{
$sort_array[$i] = $arg;
}
$multi_sort_line .= "\$sort_array[" . $i . "], ";
}
$multi_sort_line .= "\$array_mod );";
eval($multi_sort_line);
// now copy $array_mod back into $array, stripping off the "_"
// that we added earlier.
$array = array();
foreach ($array_mod as $key => $value)
$array[ substr($key, 1) ] = $value;

return $array;
}

Expected result:
----------------
The array should be sorted by column and SORT flag.

Actual result:
--------------
The array_multisort only excepts the SORT flag without quotes and not
as a string.


------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=25879&edit=1[/url]

[georg@php.net]

ID: 25879
Updated by: [email]georg@php.net[/email]
Reported By: it at oh-barcelona dot com
-Status: Open
+Status: Bogus
Bug Type: Variables related
Operating System: Windows
PHP Version: 4.3.2
New Comment:

As mfg already wrote, this is not a bug!


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2003-10-16 03:14:14] it at oh-barcelona dot com

Hello,
I realize that it is a constant but I was clear enough in my
description. The sort flag that I am using comes from a
$_GET[sortFlag]. The bug that I would like you look at is that there
is no way to create a constant from a string. So if the needed
constant is passed from one page to another it must be as string and
therefore can not be used in a function call.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2003-10-15 11:22:47] [email]mgf@php.net[/email]

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

SORT_ASC, SORT_DESC, etc. are constants, not strings, so just treat
them as if they were numeric values:

$sortFlag = SORT_ASC;
$new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',$sortFlag)



------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2003-10-15 08:25:18] it at oh-barcelona dot com

Description:
------------
Hello,
I've found a perplexing bug with sorting flags. When you create a
function to create (for example) an dynamic array_multisort() and one
of the arguements which is passed is a SORT_ASC (or any other flag)
which is used to create the array_multisort() it MUST be passed without
quotes and not as a string.

In the example below you will see that if you gettype() of the $arg the
SORT_DESC returns an integer not a string when passed without quotes
and a string with.

If the SORT flag is passed as a string the array_multisort acts as if
it were null.

This stops me from setting the SORT flag via if statement.

I have written a work around but this problem should be addressed
because if you settype() a string it becomes "0".

The function call is:
$ new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',SORT_DESC)

The function does not work if you use:
$sortFlag = "SORT_ASC";
$ new_array = array_column_sort($someArray,'column',$sortFlag )



Reproduce code:
---------------
function array_column_sort(){
$args = func_get_args();
$array = array_shift($args);
// make a temporary copy of array for which will fix the
// keys to be strings, so that array_multisort() doesn't
// destroy them
$array_mod = array();
foreach ($array as $key => $value)
$array_mod['_' . $key] = $value;

$i = 0;
$multi_sort_line = "return array_multisort( ";
foreach ($args as $arg) {
$i++;
if ( is_string($arg) ){
foreach ($array_mod as $row_key => $row){
$sort_array[$i][] = $row[$arg];
}
}else{
$sort_array[$i] = $arg;
}
$multi_sort_line .= "\$sort_array[" . $i . "], ";
}
$multi_sort_line .= "\$array_mod );";
eval($multi_sort_line);
// now copy $array_mod back into $array, stripping off the "_"
// that we added earlier.
$array = array();
foreach ($array_mod as $key => $value)
$array[ substr($key, 1) ] = $value;

return $array;
}

Expected result:
----------------
The array should be sorted by column and SORT flag.

Actual result:
--------------
The array_multisort only excepts the SORT flag without quotes and not
as a string.


------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=25879&edit=1[/url]