#28211 [Opn->WFx]: function_exists() returns false on static functions; method_exists() doesn't wor

ID: 28211 Updated by: derick@php.net Reported By: gk at proliberty dot com -Status: Open +Status: Wont fix Bug Type: Feature/Change Request Operating System: linux red hat 9 PHP Version: 4.3.4 New Comment: Agreed, is_callable is suited for this. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2004-04-30 17:35:55] brad at info-link dot net try using "callable": <?php class A { function foo() { } } echo "A::foo is_callable? ". is_callable(Array('A', 'foo')) ."\n"; ?> Outputs: A::foo is_callable? 1 So basically, this request should be re-bogusified... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2004-04-29 21:52:50] gk at proliberty dot com method_exists() is not applicable in this case since it only accepts an object, not the name of the class. There needs to be a way to check existing of static methods, in the absence of a class instance since you can call them and unavoidable fatal errors result if the function doesn't exist. This is a serious limitation in the PHP language. I don't know if PHP 5 addresses this. Changed bug category to a feature request. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2004-04-29 15:22:26] iliaa@php.net Thank you for taking the time to write to us, but this is not a bug. Please double-check the documentation available at http://www.php.net/manual/ and the instructions on how to report a bug at http://bugs.php.net/how-to-report.php You need to use method_exists() for object methods. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2004-04-29 00:46:07] gk at proliberty dot com Description: ------------ function_exists() returns false on static functions method_exists() won't work without an instance of object many times i have a deep class hierarchy and subclasses need to call inherited static methods. instances of each ancestor class in the hierarchy do not generally exist so method_exists() doesn't solve the problem. If this is not a bug but a feature request, then it is also a documentation bug since the manual does not mention that function_exists() does not work with class member functions, which are truly 'functions', not 'methods'. 'method' assumes a class instance. [greg@p3 test]$ php -v PHP 4.3.2-RC (cli) (built: Apr 25 2003 18:03:38) Reproduce code: --------------- <?php class a { function a(){ } function static_func(){ echo ("a::static_func() - the static function really exists!\n"); } } a::static_func(); $function_exists = function_exists("a::static_func") ? 'exists': 'does not exist'; echo ("function_exists(\"a::static_func\") thinks that: \n"); echo("a::static_func() $function_exists\n"); $function_exists = function_exists("static_func") ? 'exists': 'does not exist'; echo ("function_exists(\"static_func\") thinks that: \n"); echo("static_func() $function_exists\n"); ?> Expected result: ---------------- [greg@p3 test]$ php test.php a::static_func() - the static function really exists! function_exists("a::static_func") thinks that: a::static_func() exists function_exists("static_func") thinks that: static_func() does not exist Actual result: -------------- [greg@p3 test]$ php test.php a::static_func() - the static function really exists! function_exists("a::static_func") thinks that: a::static_func() does not exist function_exists("static_func") thinks that: static_func() does not exist ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=28211&edit=1