Doc #76311 [Ver->]: __construct/destruct/clone do not have return types

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=76311&edit=1 ID: 76311 User updated by: Andy_Schmidt at HM-Software dot com Reported by: Andy_Schmidt at HM-Software dot com Summary: __construct/destruct/clone do not have return types -Status: Verified +Status: Verifiedo Type: Documentation Problem Package: Class/Object related PHP Version: 7.2.5 Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: I understand that some methods had always implicitly disallowed return values before there had been a syntax to do so explicitly. The hard syntax error certainly was proper before 7.1. However, this is 2018. Why would we still force occasional PHP users from having to memorize the signature for each and every magic method? Now that "void" is a type hint, it seems that an author writing self-documenting code (for the benefit of less-versed coworkers) should not be penalized with run-time errors for explicitly defining VOID? I respectfully suggest that with 7.1 and higher, the message category "... cannot declare a return type" should simply recognize the now-available type "void" as being a perfectly expression of the implicit rule! Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2018-05-08 16:49:06] requinix@php.net Related To: Bug #76312 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2018-05-08 16:47:16] requinix@php.net True, but __wakeup allows for a void return type. Which I don't mind because its counterpart __sleep does have a return type. To me it's more the fact that __construct/destruct are particularly special methods and explicitly disallow return types. __clone too, now that I look at the list. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2018-05-08 16:39:53] cmb@php.net > Constructors and destructors do not have the concept of a return > type. The same is true for some of the other magic methods (e.g. __wakeup()). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2018-05-08 15:50:26] requinix@php.net Constructors and destructors do not have the concept of a return type. The docs showing anything at all, even void, is incorrect. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2018-05-08 15:37:05] Andy_Schmidt at HM-Software dot com Description: ------------ According to PHP's manual: http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.decon.php the signature of the __destruct method is: void __destruct ( void ) Consequently, the following syntax would be correct for 7.2, now that a "void" type hint is available: function __destruct(): void {} Actual result: -------------- PHP Fatal error: Destructor __destruct() cannot declare a return type ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=76311&edit=1