Illegal use of string offset

I can't seem to find any discussion on this BC issue, so forgive me if this has already been discussed. Given the following; $a = 'a string'; /* E_ERROR Cannot use string offset as an array */ echo is_array($a['bar']['baz']); /* non error resolution */ echo isset($a['bar']['baz']) && is_array($a['bar']['baz']); I'm not sure, but the patch below does seem to make the E_ERROR get demoted to a E_WARNING, thus fixing it so execution simply doesn't stop when a string is referenced improperly. Or is it a *must* that php needs to stop in this case? Index: zend_execute.c =================================================================== RCS file: /repository/ZendEngine2/zend_execute.c,v retrieving revision 1.643 diff -u -r1.643 zend_execute.c --- zend_execute.c 15 Apr 2004 21:32:34 -0000 1.643 +++ zend_execute.c 27 Apr 2004 02:39:52 -0000 @@ -898,7 +898,9 @@ zval ***retval = &T(result->u.var).var.ptr_ptr; if (!container_ptr) { - zend_error(E_ERROR, "Cannot use string offset as an array"); + *retval = &EG(uninitialized_zval_ptr); + zend_error(E_WARNING, "Cannot use string offset as an array"); + return; } container = *container_ptr; Curt -- "I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not so sure."