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Message-ID: <55FC2F2F.9060403@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:35:11 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] PHP 7.1 - Address PHPSadness #28?
From: rowan.collins@gmail.com (Rowan Collins)

Lester Caine wrote on 18/09/2015 16:17:
> You don't do much real database coding do you ...
>
> NULL is returned for fields that have no entry on a secondary table, so
> the result set NATURALLY returns NULL.

Why do you keep going on about null? We're talking about non-existent 
variables, not null!


> We have been living with the fact
> that PHP barf's when trying to check for NULL for a long time.

OK, now you've lost me. I can check for NULLs just fine, using is_null() 
if I know the variable exists (which I pretty much always do) or isset() 
if it might not. No barfing necessary.


> There are a number of ways those variables can be generated and switching off the
> notices is currently the only way.

The only way to do what? If you have a variable which is either null or 
non-existent, and you don't care which, use isset(). That's literally 
the same as turning off notices and then using is_null().


> exists() has a place in SOME coding
> styles which does not require to find the 'NULL' some other way to avoid
> the potential notice!

exists() would not be a way of avoiding the notice. exists() would be a 
way of distinguishing an extra state, quite separate from null.

If what you want to write is "if ( ! exists($foo) || is_null($foo) ) { 
... }" then that is exactly what "if ( isset($foo) )" will give you, 
without any notices whatsoever.

Regards,
-- 
Rowan Collins
[IMSoP]