#45956 [Asn->Csd]: parse_ini_file() does not return false with syntax errors in parsed file

ID: 45956 Updated by: jani@php.net Reported By: bugs at timj dot co dot uk -Status: Assigned +Status: Closed Bug Type: Filesystem function related Operating System: * PHP Version: 5CVS, 6CVS (2008-08-31) Assigned To: jani New Comment: This bug has been fixed in CVS. Snapshots of the sources are packaged every three hours; this change will be in the next snapshot. You can grab the snapshot at http://snaps.php.net/. Thank you for the report, and for helping us make PHP better. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2008-08-30 22:41:26] jani@php.net It's a bug. Oversight, but bug nevertheless. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2008-08-30 18:59:21] bugs at timj dot co dot uk Description: ------------ This seems to be a design error rather than a bug: parse_ini_file() does not provide any way to handle errors gracefully. In the event of a syntax error, it throws an E_WARNING *but* the return value is simply an empty array (the same as a - valid - empty file) instead of FALSE. Thus there is no way to trap the error (via @ prefix) and handle it in a more graceful way than an E_WARNING. I would argue that changing the return value to FALSE in the case of an invalid file is a reasonable change, since the only situations it will break are ones where currently PHP throws a warning anyway. Reproduce code: --------------- This is what it would be nice to be able to do: $ini = @parse_ini_file('some_invalid.ini'); if ($ini === false) { // error: do something graceful } // normal execution Expected result: ---------------- The code section "// do something graceful" executes Actual result: -------------- The code section "// normal execution" executes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=45956&edit=1