Bug #80073 [Ver]: levenshtein(): new ValueError not documented

From: Date: Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:10:59 +0000
Subject: Bug #80073 [Ver]: levenshtein(): new ValueError not documented
References: 1  Groups: php.doc.bugs 
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Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=80073&edit=1

 ID:                 80073
 Updated by:         nikic@php.net
 Reported by:        claude dot pache at gmail dot com
 Summary:            levenshtein(): new ValueError not documented
 Status:             Verified
 Type:               Bug
 Package:            Documentation problem
 PHP Version:        8.0.0
 Block user comment: N
 Private report:     N

 New Comment:

I wonder if we can't just drop that error condition altogether. Why is there a limitation of
255 characters? My best guess is that it's supposed to protected against the quadratic time
complexity of the algorithm. But then again, the similar_text() function which has much worse
(cubic) complexity, does not come with such a limitation. This doesn't seem like something PHP
should be enforcing.


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2020-09-07 10:01:39] requinix@php.net

Changed during https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/5816

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[2020-09-07 09:52:13] claude dot pache at gmail dot com

Moreover, the change of behaviour of levenshthein() between PHP 7 and PHP 8 (which is a BC break) is
currently not documented in UPGRADING:

https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/php-8.0.0beta3/UPGRADING

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2020-09-07 09:38:16] claude dot pache at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
In the manual page:

https://www.php.net/manual/function.levenshtein.php

it is stated that levenshtein() returns -1 if one argument is too long, but it doesn’t say that
an error is emitted.

Test script:
---------------
var_dump(levenshtein(str_repeat('X', 300), 'a'));

Expected result:
----------------
Per the manual page; dumps -1 without warning/error.

Actual result:
--------------
In PHP 7: Emits a Warning and dumps -1.

In PHP 8: Throws a ValueError.


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Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=80073&edit=1


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