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

ID: 32840 User updated by: wagner at bonn dot edu Reported By: wagner at bonn dot edu Status: Open Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem Operating System: gentoo linux PHP Version: 5.0.4 New Comment: The Expected result should actually look like this: --------------------------------------------------- f1: 11 f2: 11 Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2005-04-26 14:37:52] wagner at bonn dot edu 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 this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=32840&edit=1