Req #70278 [Opn]: Allow null to be passed by reference

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=70278&edit=1 ID: 70278 User updated by: cyslider at posteo dot de Reported by: cyslider at posteo dot de Summary: Allow null to be passed by reference Status: Open Type: Feature/Change Request Package: *General Issues PHP Version: Next Major Version Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: I am really sorry if I did rub you the wrong way, I did not intend to do so. I can not omit this parameter as I have to pass the parameter coming after it. I also have no problem getting a warning free solution by using. $null=null; exec($script, $null, $result); I prefer this over just exec($script, $null, $result); as I don't want to use an uninitialized variable this way and would not be surprised if a future PHP version will issue some kind of warning for this. I merely find it an odd choice to not accept a direct null here and wanted to bring this to the developers attention, that there exists at least one user of their product that would consider this an improvement. But if I am the only one, this certainly is not worth your time and you should just close this as WON'T FIX. Thank you, for hearing me out. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2019-03-12 15:59:49] spam2 at rhsoft dot net it is a BY-REFERENCE param so what do you think means a default of NULL? omit errors, do nothing at all and no it would not be better allow function(null) as call because you technically can't pass anything else then variables as reference just don't specify that optional param at all if you don't make use of it, don't call the variable $null because it is wrong and to satisfy your buggy IDE write $output = '' instead null and you are done - hell, it's a REFERENCE and so it don't matter what value it has to satisfy your IDE because after the call it has the output of the called function ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2019-03-12 15:37:49] cyslider at posteo dot de That is what my IDE shows me. Also a bug? function exec ($command, array &$output = null, &$return_var = null) {} I understand 'array &$output = null' as having null by default. Sorry if this is not meant that way internally. I am not aware of that. I thought this notation always refers to setting a default value in case the value is omitted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2019-03-12 14:49:03] cmb@php.net The default value of the $output parameter of exec() is not NULL; actually, this parameter has no default value. Either the argument is omitted, or not. Anyhow, this feature request is obviously controversial, so it should be discussed on <internals@lists.php.net>, and might need the RFC process[1]. [1] <https://wiki.php.net/rfc/howto> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2019-03-12 13:48:39] cyslider at posteo dot de All I am saying is that having to pass null by reference to a function that explicitly states to accept null as a value, even as its default, is odd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2019-03-12 09:37:01] spam2 at rhsoft dot net yes it is because the default value means "don't store it anywhere" and honestly what sort of argumentation is "i always need to remember it"? for your IDE:make a bugreport there that they should stop warn about correct usage and start warning about your repeated mistake you never remember ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The remainder of the comments for this report are too long. To view the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=70278 -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=70278&edit=1