#40692 [NEW]: Trying to use boolean as array doesn't give an error

[smlerman at gmail dot com]

From: smlerman at gmail dot com
Operating system: Any
PHP version: 5.2.1
PHP Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem
Bug description: Trying to use boolean as array doesn't give an error

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an error
occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but no error
message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it would make
debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

--
Edit bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]
--
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[iliaa@php.net]

ID: 40692
Updated by: [email]iliaa@php.net[/email]
Reported By: smlerman at gmail dot com
-Status: Open
+Status: Bogus
Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem
Operating System: Any
PHP Version: 5.2.1
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]

PHP is not type strict.


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

[2007-03-02 16:20:40] smlerman at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an
error occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but
no error message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it
would make debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents
and Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""


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


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]

[smlerman at gmail dot com]

ID: 40692
User updated by: smlerman at gmail dot com
Reported By: smlerman at gmail dot com
-Status: Bogus
+Status: Open
Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem
Operating System: Any
PHP Version: 5.2.1
New Comment:

Yeah, in 6 years of programming PHP, I never noticed that it isn't a
strictly typed language. Trying to use an undefined offset of an array
gives an error message. Trying to use a non-existant character index of
a string gives an error message. So what is the boolean being converted
to such that using an incorrect offset isn't an error?


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

[2007-03-03 15:58:22] [email]iliaa@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]

PHP is not type strict.

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

[2007-03-02 16:20:40] smlerman at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an
error occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but
no error message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it
would make debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents
and Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""


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


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]

[iliaa@php.net]

ID: 40692
Updated by: [email]iliaa@php.net[/email]
Reported By: smlerman at gmail dot com
-Status: Open
+Status: Bogus
Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem
Operating System: Any
PHP Version: 5.2.1
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]

(string)false == ""
"" does not have offset 0 and therefor you get a warning message.

(array)false == array(0 => false);

and when you access element 0 of this array you get false in return.


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

[2007-03-03 16:57:17] smlerman at gmail dot com

Yeah, in 6 years of programming PHP, I never noticed that it isn't a
strictly typed language. Trying to use an undefined offset of an array
gives an error message. Trying to use a non-existant character index of
a string gives an error message. So what is the boolean being converted
to such that using an incorrect offset isn't an error?

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

[2007-03-03 15:58:22] [email]iliaa@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]

PHP is not type strict.

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

[2007-03-02 16:20:40] smlerman at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an
error occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but
no error message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it
would make debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents
and Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""


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


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]

[smlerman at gmail dot com]

ID: 40692
User updated by: smlerman at gmail dot com
Reported By: smlerman at gmail dot com
-Status: Bogus
+Status: Open
Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem
Operating System: Any
PHP Version: 5.2.1
New Comment:

Actually, as my code shows, you do not get false, you get NULL, so it's
obviously not doing a normal conversion to an array. I'm not disputing
the value of the expression, since it makes perfect sense to me that
the value of a non-existent variable should be NULL. In all other
cases, though, it also gives a notice, which is what would be nice to
have.


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

[2007-03-05 00:10:28] [email]iliaa@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]

(string)false == ""
"" does not have offset 0 and therefor you get a warning message.

(array)false == array(0 => false);

and when you access element 0 of this array you get false in return.

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

[2007-03-03 16:57:17] smlerman at gmail dot com

Yeah, in 6 years of programming PHP, I never noticed that it isn't a
strictly typed language. Trying to use an undefined offset of an array
gives an error message. Trying to use a non-existant character index of
a string gives an error message. So what is the boolean being converted
to such that using an incorrect offset isn't an error?

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

[2007-03-03 15:58:22] [email]iliaa@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]

PHP is not type strict.

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

[2007-03-02 16:20:40] smlerman at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an
error occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but
no error message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it
would make debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents
and Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""


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


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]

[smlerman at gmail dot com]

ID: 40692
User updated by: smlerman at gmail dot com
Reported By: smlerman at gmail dot com
Status: Open
Bug Type: Feature/Change Request
Operating System: Any
PHP Version: 5.2.1
New Comment:

Here's another test case that shows that something isn't quite right
with implicit conversions.

<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = 12345;
var_dump($a[0]); // Should cast to string or possibly array
var_dump($a{0}); // Should cast to string

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

$c = (array)$a;
var_dump($c[0]);

?>

Results:

int(8191)
NULL
NULL
string(1) "1"
int(12345)

So $a isn't being converted to a string or array if you do $a[0]. It
also isn't converted to a string if you do $a{0}, and I have no idea
what else it could reasonably convert to. I never rely on these
implicit conversions, so I have no real personal interest in whether
the behavior stays the same as it is now or if the conversions are
fixed, but some kind of error message, even a notice for an undefined
index for something like $a['foo'], would help with debugging this kind
of programmer mistake.


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

[2007-03-05 00:22:42] smlerman at gmail dot com

Actually, as my code shows, you do not get false, you get NULL, so it's
obviously not doing a normal conversion to an array. I'm not disputing
the value of the expression, since it makes perfect sense to me that
the value of a non-existent variable should be NULL. In all other
cases, though, it also gives a notice, which is what would be nice to
have.

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

[2007-03-05 00:10:28] [email]iliaa@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]

(string)false == ""
"" does not have offset 0 and therefor you get a warning message.

(array)false == array(0 => false);

and when you access element 0 of this array you get false in return.

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

[2007-03-03 16:57:17] smlerman at gmail dot com

Yeah, in 6 years of programming PHP, I never noticed that it isn't a
strictly typed language. Trying to use an undefined offset of an array
gives an error message. Trying to use a non-existant character index of
a string gives an error message. So what is the boolean being converted
to such that using an incorrect offset isn't an error?

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

[2007-03-03 15:58:22] [email]iliaa@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]

PHP is not type strict.

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

[2007-03-02 16:20:40] smlerman at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
If you try to use a boolean as an array (which most likely means an
error occurred somewhere), the value is correctly returned as NULL, but
no error message is reported. Obviously not a major problem, but it
would make debugging a little easier.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php

var_dump(error_reporting());
$a = false;
var_dump($a[0]);

$b = (string)$a;
var_dump($b[0]);

?>

Expected result:
----------------
int(8191)
[Something like] Notice: Cannot use boolean as array in C:\Documents
and Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 5
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\...\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""

Actual result:
--------------
int(8191)
NULL

Notice: Uninitialized string offset: 0 in C:\Documents and
Settings\Scott\My Documents\Test Files\boolean_array.php on line 8
string(0) ""


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


--
Edit this bug report at [url]http://bugs.php.net/?id=40692&edit=1[/url]