#47330 [Bgs]: key return value should be specified

From: Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:35:52 +0000
Subject: #47330 [Bgs]: key return value should be specified
References: 1  Groups: php.doc.bugs 
Request: Send a blank email to doc-bugs+get-2663@lists.php.net to get a copy of this message
 ID:               47330
 User updated by:  thuejk at gmail dot com
 Reported By:      thuejk at gmail dot com
 Status:           Bogus
 Bug Type:         Documentation problem
 Operating System: All
 PHP Version:      Irrelevant
 New Comment:

Nope, not true. The code

<?php
  $array = Array(0 => null);
  reset($array);
  var_dump(current($array));
  var_dump(key($array));
?>

Prints out
  int(1)
  int(0)

But yes,
<?php
if (each($array) === false) {
  $beyond = true;
} else {
  $beyond = false;
  prev($array);
}
?>
is the same as
<?php
$beyond = key($array) === null;
?>
Just not as handy.

I know about the 
foreach ($arr as $key => $val) {
    echo "Got $key => $val\n";
}
syntax, but sometimes you need the array iterators, like the following
function:
<?php
  //A mergesort which preserves keys.
  //The naming is like the "a" in build-in function asort()
  public static function amergesort(Array &$array,
$cmp_function='strcmp') {
    // Arrays of size < 2 require no action.
    if (count($array) < 2) return;
    // Split the array in half
    $halfway = count($array) / 2;
    $array1 = array_slice($array, 0,        $halfway,       true);
    $array2 = array_slice($array, $halfway, sizeof($array), true);
    // Recurse to sort the two halves
    self::amergesort($array1, $cmp_function);
    self::amergesort($array2, $cmp_function);
    // If all of $array1 is <= all of $array2, just append them.
    $value1 = end($array1);
    $key1 = key($array);
    reset($array1);
    $value2 = reset($array2);
    $keys2 = key($array2);
    if (call_user_func($cmp_function, $value1, $value2) < 1) {
      $array = $array1;
      //mergesort will renumber numeric keys
      foreach ($array2 as $key2 => $value2) {
        $array[$key2] = $value2;
      }
      return;
    }
    // Merge the two sorted arrays into a single sorted array
    $array = array();
    while (true) {
      $value1 = current($array1);
      $key1 = key($array1);
      $value2 = current($array2);
      $key2 = key($array2);
      if ($key1 === null) {
        //$array1 is empty - append array 2
        do {
          $array[$key2] = $value2;
          $value2 = next($array2);
          $key2 = key($array2);
        } while ($key2 !== null);
        break;
      } else if ($key2 === null) {
        //$array2 is empty - append array 1
        do {
          $array[$key1] = $value1;
          $value1 = next($array1);
          $key1 = key($array1);
        } while ($key1 !== null);
        break;
      } else {
        //compare elements from $array1, $array2 to see which to
append
        if (call_user_func($cmp_function, $value1, $value2) < 1) {
          $array[$key1] = $value1;
          next($array1);
        } else {
          $array[$key2] = $value2;
          next($array2);
        }
      }
    }
    return;
  }
?>


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2009-08-26 07:24:43] torben@php.net

key() also returns NULL if the array index currently being examined
contains NULL, and therefore gives no useful information as to whether
the end of the array has been passed or not.

To successfully traverse the array, key() is not the appropriate
method. Either of the following will server you better:

foreach ($arr as $key => $val) {
    echo "Got $key => $val\n";
}

or 

reset($arr);
while (list($key, $val) = each($arr)) {
    echo "$key => $val\n";
}



------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2009-02-06 16:47:19] thuejk at gmail dot com

Description:
------------
Currently there is no documented way to check whether an array iterator
is pointing beyond the end of the array.

It would be nice if key($array) could be counted on to return null if
that was the case.

key does return null in practice, however the documentation does not
specify the fact, making me fear that the behaviour could change in the
future.

See also http://dk.php.net/manual/en/function.key.php



------------------------------------------------------------------------


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