Req #44568 [Opn->Bgs]: class name as defined constant

Edit report at http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=44568&edit=1 ID: 44568 Updated by: johannes@php.net Reported by: andrea at 3site dot it Summary: class name as defined constant -Status: Open +Status: Bogus Type: Feature/Change Request -Package: Feature/Change Request +Package: *General Issues Operating System: Windows XP PHP Version: 5.2.6RC3 Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: You can also have a function with the same name and a variable with the name8prefixed by $), PHP has multiple name scopes. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2010-12-01 07:50:06] philip dot preisser at web dot de Test2 Fatal error: Class 'Test2' not found in /var/www/HTTP/devel/current/frameworld/test.php on line 53 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2008-03-30 10:59:12] andrea at 3site dot it Description: ------------ It seems to be an ambiguity issue and a probable future problem. You can create a class and define a constant with the same name and vice-versa. Who is the class and who is the constant? For future problems: currently, the magic __toString method works as magic instance method even if it is declared as public static ( ... and inherited in instances as public without static ... but this is another problem ... ) If one day PHP would like to support a public static __toString method this ambiguity will be a problem to understand if we are trying to get them, or the possible defined constant. Reproduce code: --------------- class Test{} define('Test', 123); // defined('Test') or class_exists('Test') ? define('Test2', 'Test2'); class Test2{} get_class(new Test2) === Test2; // true echo Test2; // Test2 $ref = Test2; new $ref; // an instanceof Test2 ... is_string(Test2); // true Expected result: ---------------- A fatal error, because a constant should be a unique and immutable value with a name that could not be used as class one and a class should be unique as well (if we cannot use the same name for two different classes, how can we have two totally different meaning with a sngle name, the class and the constant) Actual result: -------------- It is possible to create a class and then define a constant with the same name, and it is possible to define a constant and then a class with the same name. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=44568&edit=1