Re: The so-called improvment in PHP 4.2.0

On Tue, 23 Apr 2002, Rouvas Stathis wrote: >Miguel Cruz wrote: >> >> On Mon, 22 Apr 2002, Leif K-Brooks wrote: >>> I use $formvar for form processing, I don't use the arrays. This is how I >>> was taught to do it. If my host upgrades to 4.2.0, my website is as good as >>> gone! What am I supposed to do?! >> >> Fix them! This direction was first announced in 4Q1999; 2.5 years ought to >> be enough preparation time. > > No, it isn't! For anything that breaks old functionality, 'forever' is > not enough time. It doesn't break old functionality. You just have to read the manual. Either leave your php.ini file untouched from your earlier installation (which is not a difficult undertaking), or override the global import feature on a site-by-site (or directory-by-directory) basis using your web server's configuration tools. >> This change improves your security, so it'd be rational to be happy about >> it. > > No it doesn't. It just provides another excuse for lazy programming. > Nothing will save a lazy programmer or one that doesn't understand basic > principles. I disagree. You cannot expect everyone to be perfect. The fact is that people make mistakes and go through a learning process, and anything that helps them through this is a benefit to all. Otherwise why have any security features at all? Firewalls encourage lazy programming! Locks and police encourage lazy domestic vigilance! And it's not lazy to assume a variable starts with value NULL, in a language with no storage declaration requirements and where the documentation says that variables start with value NULL. Just because C or Pascal require you to do something, doesn't mean that you are being lazy for not doing it elsewhere. miguel