Bug->Req #80153 [Nab->Opn]: ReflectionMethod should have a method to translate the "self" return type

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=80153&edit=1 ID: 80153 Updated by: requinix@php.net Reported by: spychala dot adam at gmail dot com -Summary: Self return type and ReflectionClass->getReturnType +Summary: ReflectionMethod should have a method to translate the "self" return type -Status: Not a bug +Status: Open -Type: Bug +Type: Feature/Change Request Package: Class/Object related Operating System: Ubuntu PHP Version: 7.4.10 Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: Ah. In that case, > Shouldn't it return then 'B', not 'self'? I don't think so. Reflection isn't just about how code behaves but about how it was written, and if the method was written to return "self" then that is what reflection should say. But a new method to return the "effective" type sounds like a reasonable request to me. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-09-26 22:21:26] spychala dot adam at gmail dot com I'm sorry. Repeated mistake. I thought of 'B' and typed 'A'. I agree with that > If getReturnType() returned "B" then the fact that the method actually is supposed to > return "self" is lost. It should be another method for returning specific return type, because we also miss such information with self/static return types. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-09-26 21:29:35] requinix@php.net > Self is not type in PHP, is keyword. self is most definitely a type. You can use it in every situation I can think of that wants a type: parameter types, return types, instanceof a type, creating a new instance of a type... It is *also* a keyword. > Shouldn't it return then 'A', not 'self'? Like I said before, no. Please read what I said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-09-26 20:38:47] spychala dot adam at gmail dot com Shouldn't it return then 'A', not 'self'? Self is not type in PHP, is keyword. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-09-26 19:33:35] requinix@php.net "self" means self. It does not mean "A" or "B". Which means your expected result is incorrect: B's getSomething needs to return an instance of B, not of A. https://3v4l.org/YLDaH If getReturnType() returned "B" then the fact that the method actually is supposed to return "self" is lost. If you need to know that B::getSomething() must return an instance of B then I suggest: if ($return_type == 'self') { $return_type = 'B'; } ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2020-09-26 11:46:18] spychala dot adam at gmail dot com Description: ------------ There is question on SO regarding return type of class methods which has 'self' return type https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64073093/how-to-get-return-type-of-a-class-method-in-php I think it should return corresponding return type, not self (or in the future static type). Test script: --------------- interface A { public function getSomething(): self; } class B implements A { public function getSomething(): self { return $this; } } print((new ReflectionClass(new B()))->getMethod('getSomething')->getReturnType()); Expected result: ---------------- A Actual result: -------------- self ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=80153&edit=1