Req #79662 [Opn->Csd]: substr($string, $offset, null) should return from $offset till end

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=79662&edit=1 ID: 79662 Updated by: nikic@php.net Reported by: thflori at gmail dot com Summary: substr($string, $offset, null) should return from $offset till end -Status: Open +Status: Closed Type: Feature/Change Request Package: Strings related Operating System: Linux/Any PHP Version: 7.4.6 -Assigned To: +Assigned To: nikic Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: This has already been addressed in PHP 8. As this is part of a large set of default value handling improvements, and is technically backwards compatibility breaking, I don't think we want to backport this to earlier versions. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-06-01 20:41:37] thflori at gmail dot com Description: ------------ Usually when you don't want to pass an optional argument you pass null. That does not only feel natural for me I hope. But not with substr - when you pass null it is the same as when you pass 0. It is clearly described in the documentation as well. This looks like no problem for the most of the users. Obviously just don't pass it. But no one knows what the developers out there might develop; maybe the third parameter comes from another call and you have to write an exception for substr: <?php if ($length === null) $sub = substr($string, $offset); else $sub = substr($string, $offset, $length); I'm not sure is it really intended to be that way or are there only historical reasons? --- From manual page: https://php.net/function.substr --- Test script: --------------- <?php $string = 'lorem ipsum'; $passNull = substr($string, 6, null); var_dump($passNull); Expected result: ---------------- string(5) "ipsum" Actual result: -------------- string(0) "" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=79662&edit=1