Bug #75168 [NEW]: Unexpected PHP Warning Node no longer exists

From: goetas at gmail dot com Operating system: any PHP version: 7.0.23 Package: SimpleXML related Bug Type: Bug Bug description:Unexpected PHP Warning Node no longer exists Description: ------------ currently the simplexml api exposes the SimpleXMLElement class when asking elements that does not exists in the XML dom, but some operations are inconsistent. $xml // instanceof \SimpleXMLElement $node = $xml->NOT_EXISTING_NODE_NAME; // instanceof \SimpleXMLElement $a = $node->attributes() // instanceof \SimpleXMLElement $b = $node->children() // instanceof \SimpleXMLElement $a->asXML() // works $a->count() // error $a->getName() // does not work // all the other method call will trigger the error Test script: --------------- <?php $xml = simplexml_load_string('<root/>'); var_dump($xml->NOT_EXISTING_NODE_NAME instanceof \SimpleXMLElement); $attributes = $xml->NOT_EXISTING_NODE_NAME->attributes(); var_dump(count($attributes)); Expected result: ---------------- bool(true) PHP Warning: count(): Node no longer exists in /home/goetas/test.php on line 7 int(0) Actual result: -------------- bool(true) PHP Warning: count(): Node no longer exists in /home/goetas/test.php on line 7 int(0) -- Edit bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=75168&edit=1 -- Try a snapshot (PHP 5.4): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=trysnapshot54 Try a snapshot (PHP 5.5): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=trysnapshot55 Try a snapshot (trunk): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=trysnapshottrunk Fixed in SVN: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=fixed Fixed in release: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=needscript Try newer version: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=oldversion Not developer issue: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=support Expected behavior: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=notwrong Not enough info: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=submittedtwice register_globals: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=globals PHP 4 support discontinued: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=php4 Daylight Savings: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=dst IIS Stability: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=gnused Floating point limitations: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=float No Zend Extensions: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=75168&r=mysqlcfg