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Subject: [PHP-DEV] Deprecate return by reference from never ?
Message-ID: <686DBC13.4010704@adviesenzo.nl>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2025 02:47:15 +0200
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From: php-internals_nospam@adviesenzo.nl (Juliette Reinders Folmer)

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L.S.,

I just noticed something which seems odd to me: PHP 8.1 deprecated 
declaring a function to return by reference when the return type is void:

`function &foo() : void {}` results in:
"Deprecated: foo(): Returning by reference from a void function is 
deprecated"

However, declaring a function to return by reference when the return 
type is "never" does not yield either an error or a deprecation notice: 
https://3v4l.org/DWs7t

I might well be missing something, but this feels a bit strange and 
inconsistent to me.

Should this be fixed by also deprecating return by reference for "never" 
functions ?

Smile,
Juliette






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    <font size="-1"><font face="Verdana">L.S.,<br>
        <br>
        I just noticed something which seems odd to me: PHP 8.1
        deprecated declaring a function to return by reference when the
        return type is void:<br>
        <br>
        `function &amp;foo() : void {}` results in:<br>
        "Deprecated: foo(): Returning by reference from a void function
        is deprecated"<br>
        <br>
        However, declaring a function to return by reference when the
        return type is "never" does not yield either an error or a
        deprecation notice: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://3v4l.org/DWs7t">https://3v4l.org/DWs7t</a><br>
        <br>
        I might well be missing something, but this feels a bit strange
        and inconsistent to me.<br>
        <br>
        Should this be fixed by also deprecating return by reference for
        "never" functions ?<br>
        <br>
        Smile,<br>
        Juliette<br>
        <br>
         <br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <br>
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