#32840 [NEW]: returning member-variables causes unwanted return by reference

From: wagner at bonn dot edu Operating system: gentoo linux PHP version: 5.0.4 PHP Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem Bug description: returning member-variables causes unwanted return by reference Description: ------------ Returning a value of an array or a member-variable causes the return to be by reference. This also happens in PHP 4.3.x Related to http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=32789 which seems bogusified beyond repair. Reproduce code: --------------- function incr(&$int) { return $int++; } function f() { static $v; if (!$v) $v = 1; return($v); } function f2() { static $v; if (!$v) { $v = array(); $v[0] = 1; } return($v[0]); } echo "f1: ".incr(f()).incr(f())."\n"; echo "f2: ".incr(f2()).incr(f2())."\n"; Expected result: ---------------- f1: 11 f2: 12 Same behaviour for both functions. Actual result: -------------- f1: 11 f2: 12 f2 inexplicably returns a reference. The manual states that for this to happen, it should be necessary to actually use a & in front of the definition of the returning function: http://de2.php.net/manual/en/language.references.return.php "... you have to use & in both places - to indicate that you return by-reference, not a copy as usual, and to indicate that reference binding, rather than usual assignment, should be done ..." -- Edit bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=32840&edit=1 -- Try a CVS snapshot (php4): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=trysnapshot4 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.0): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=trysnapshot50 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.1): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=trysnapshot51 Fixed in CVS: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=fixedcvs Fixed in release: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=needscript Try newer version: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=oldversion Not developer issue: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=support Expected behavior: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=notwrong Not enough info: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=submittedtwice register_globals: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=globals PHP 3 support discontinued: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=php3 Daylight Savings: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=dst IIS Stability: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=gnused Floating point limitations: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=float No Zend Extensions: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=32840&r=mysqlcfg