Re: [PATCH] Notice on array to string convertion

2011/6/2 Reindl Harald <h.reindl@thelounge.net>: > Am 02.06.2011 16:24, schrieb Marcel Esser: >> I am not convinced that making this an error is a good idea. >> >> If I receive a $_GET/$_POST value that I expect to be a string value, but I actually >> received an array, this would >> mean I need to now explicitly check for it, since it will stop the runtime otherwise. > > so fix your code jesus christ I am not sure he has anything to do with that. > what do you do if you expect a string and get an array? > nothing useful! That is not the point, when you cast an array as a string, you are supposed to receive "Array" whether you like this or not. For now, this is just a silent operation which I want to make some noise, accordingly to the philosophy of PHP. Most of the time, this is a sign of error, obviously, there are some very few case where you want that conversion, may I point you to the PHP unit tests (*.phpt files)? > you can get this only by define name="multi[]" in a form > and so if you define there post an array you should not > expect a string in the code, this is exactly a sample where > a fatal error should be thworn to force peopole not writing > crappy code which floods my error-logs if anybody out there > means to put a self-written script on our servers with > E_ALL | E_STRICT which are running in this mode since years > > would this be an error the blind developers would see them > even on their development-machines I'm all for errors being reported as it should be, the key here is that casting an array to string should remain a permitted operation. The same is true when using a variable which is not declared. If you don't agree with that, you don't agree with the whole principle of PHP's notices which is of course debatable. May I invite you to discuss the fact that PHP's notice are inappropriate in software development in a specific thread? I am sure some people could help you in this task or even to create an RFC about how to change that in the future of PHP. Regards Patrick