Bug #73700 [NEW]: Incosistent behavior when accessing scalars as an array

From: onno dot marsman at gmail dot com Operating system: PHP version: Irrelevant Package: Variables related Bug Type: Bug Bug description:Incosistent behavior when accessing scalars as an array Description: ------------ If you write an array index to a number, a "Cannot use a scalar value as an array" is triggered. This is desired behavior. In several other similar cases when treating a scalar as an array this warning is not triggered, where this would be desired in my opinion. See test script for the examples. Because a string is a scalar you would expect this warning to be also triggered when accessing a string as an array, but of course this not desired, since accessing a string as an array is a feature. Therefor the message of the warning "Cannot use a scalar value as an array" maybe should be reconsidered. Test script: --------------- // The following case produces a "Cannot use a scalar value as an array" warning: // 1. write as an array to a number $a = 1; $a[1] = 1; // The following cases do not produce this warning: // 2. write as an array to null $a = null; $a[1] = 1; // 3. write as an array to false $a = false; $a[1] = 1; // 4. read as an array from a number $a = 1; var_dump($a[1]); // results in NULL // 5. read as an array from null $a = null; var_dump($a[1]); // results in NULL // 6. read as an array from false $a = false; var_dump($a[1]); // results in NULL Expected result: ---------------- Get 6 warnings instead of just 1. Actual result: -------------- Only 1 warning. -- Edit bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=73700&edit=1 -- Try a snapshot (PHP 5.4): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=trysnapshot54 Try a snapshot (PHP 5.5): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=trysnapshot55 Try a snapshot (trunk): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=trysnapshottrunk Fixed in SVN: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=fixed Fixed in release: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=needscript Try newer version: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=oldversion Not developer issue: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=support Expected behavior: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=notwrong Not enough info: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=submittedtwice register_globals: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=globals PHP 4 support discontinued: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=php4 Daylight Savings: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=dst IIS Stability: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=gnused Floating point limitations: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=float No Zend Extensions: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=73700&r=mysqlcfg