#34193 [NEW]: return new Object() in function returning reference.

From: benoit at bh-services dot net Operating system: WIN32 XP SP2 PHP version: 4.4.0 PHP Bug Type: Scripting Engine problem Bug description: return new Object() in function returning reference. Description: ------------ Hi all, I've read and searched all the bugs report about the famous "Only variable references should be returned by reference" Notice and I not yet found this case. This one in fact is very tricky, it happens when you have a function intended to return a reference on a variable, and in this one in some cases you want to return an object (In my case is to manage new Exception() objects to emulate the try/catch mechanism). So if you try to return directly new Object() in the function then you have a notice. This means new Object() does not return a reference (or is not considered as a reference on variable). By the way, you can do stuff like this : $obj = & new Object(); So that means here the new Object() is ok for references... So what is the rule here ? For me it's simply to allow the usage of references on new Object() calls because is very useful, and for me this not a bug to have reference on new object (which is infact the first reference an object/variable can have). Thanks for the team, and I hope this one will be fixed in the 4.4.1 ;) /Benoit Heinrich Reproduce code: --------------- <?php error_reporting(E_ALL); // very important. class Object() { } function &fct() { return new Object(); } $obj = & fct(); // will display the notice $obj = & new Object(); // this one no notice ?> will display: Notice: Only variable references should be returned by reference Expected result: ---------------- Have no notice at all when I use the E_ALL for reporting. Actual result: -------------- The famous Notice: Only variable references should be returned by reference. -- Edit bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=34193&edit=1 -- Try a CVS snapshot (php4): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=trysnapshot4 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.0): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=trysnapshot50 Try a CVS snapshot (php5.1): http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=trysnapshot51 Fixed in CVS: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=fixedcvs Fixed in release: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=needscript Try newer version: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=oldversion Not developer issue: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=support Expected behavior: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=notwrong Not enough info: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=submittedtwice register_globals: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=globals PHP 3 support discontinued: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=php3 Daylight Savings: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=dst IIS Stability: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=gnused Floating point limitations: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=float No Zend Extensions: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=34193&r=mysqlcfg