#49346 [Bgs->Opn]: using return() with an empty argument list is causing in a parser error

ID: 49346 Updated by: sjoerd@php.net Reported By: mirko dot steiner at slashdevslashnull dot de -Status: Bogus +Status: Open -Bug Type: Reproducible crash +Bug Type: Documentation problem Operating System: linux, freebsd PHP Version: 5.2.10 New Comment: I agree that the documentation suggests that return() is valid, because it refers to the return statement as "return()". Maybe "return" without parenthesis would be better. Note that echo() is also a language construct and not a function. I change this bug to category "Documentation", so that the documentation return and echo can be clarified. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2009-08-24 18:59:48] mirko dot steiner at slashdevslashnull dot de thank you, for your immidiatly response. yes, i know that ,,return'' is a language construct. it is documented that the parentheses are not required (1) but not that it is necessary that there have to be an argument if the parantheses are used. using ,,echo()'' for example, which is a function(!), brings the same parser error when using empty parentheses. it seems like an error in the parser where functions or ,,language constructs'' where the parantheses are optional. (1) http://de2.php.net/manual/en/function.return.php (requested Mon Aug 24 20:45:38 CEST 2009) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2009-08-24 18:08:34] sjoerd@php.net Thank you for your report. The behavior you report is not a bug. You call return as if it is a function. It is not, it is a language construct. The correct syntax is: return 'bar'; or return; The parenthesis are not needed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2009-08-24 15:20:57] mirko dot steiner at slashdevslashnull dot de Description: ------------ using return() with an empty argument list is causing in a parser error. Reproduce code: --------------- <?php function foo($arg) { if($arg) { return('bar'); } else { return(); } } ?> Expected result: ---------------- no parser error :-) Actual result: -------------- Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ')' in /usr/local/www/develop/htdocs/test.php on line 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=49346&edit=1