# [Fwd: [PHP] constant() - php5] - Thread: https://externals.io/message/17019 - Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/17019 - Started by Jochem Maas on 2005-06-29T23:00:57+00:00 - Messages: 5 - Reply by email to internals@lists.php.net - More for agents: search with https://externals.io/search.md?q={query} · JSON API at https://externals.io/api · documentation at https://externals.io/llms.txt --- ## #17019 — Jochem Maas — 2005-06-29T23:00:57+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/17019#17019 hi, I just wanted to say about 'include' ... er no actually I have this little thing with `constant()` which I asked about on php-generals and the response from a couple of regulars suggest it might be a bug, or more correctly, an inconsistency. Jason Barnett wrote also: > tested with PHP 5.0.5-dev > > > /* Causes `E_WARNING` */ > echo "constant('UNDEFINED_CONSTANT')\n"; > echo constant('UNDEFINED_CONSTANT'); > > /* Causes `E_NOTICE` */ > echo "UNDEFINED_CONSTANT\n"; > echo UNDEFINED_CONSTANT; > > ?> should(may) I submit a bugreport? -------- Original Message -------- anybody here know what the logic is behind `constant()` triggering a warning if the named constant is not found? contrived example: > […] > > What is stupid with validating name before using it? its inconsistent to trigger an `E_WARNING` when doing: echo constant('CNST'); when: echo CNST; only triggers an E_NOTICE. (assuming, in both cases that CNST is not defined). IMHO it should at most trigger an E_NOTICE. > > p. --- ## #17058 — Derick Rethans — 2005-07-01T13:43:30+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/17019#17058 · In reply to: #17057 > echo constant('CNST'); > > when: > > echo CNST; > > only triggers an E_NOTICE. > (assuming, in both cases that CNST is not defined). > > IMHO it should at most trigger an E_NOTICE. Did you compare the output of the two statements? echo constant('CNST'); shows nothing (except the warning) echo CNST; shows "CNST" (and a notice). This makes perfect sense to me to differentiate between them like this. Derick -- Derick Rethans http://derickrethans.nl | http://ez.no | http://xdebug.org --- ## #17060 — Jochem Maas — 2005-07-01T14:13:44+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/17019#17060 · In reply to: #17058 Derick Rethans wrote: > > > > > […] > > > Did you compare the output of the two statements? I did. > echo constant('CNST'); > shows nothing (except the warning) > > echo CNST; > shows "CNST" (and a notice). > > This makes perfect sense to me to differentiate between them like this. ok - agreed that the echo behaviour is logical - but I wasn't actually pertaining to the echo behaviour (and what was being echo'ed wasn't relevant to my original question). my point is that using a constant directly in your code when that constant doesn't exist only causes an `E_NOTICE` but passing a string to `constant()` when a constant of the given name doesn't exist causes an E_WARNING. I would either expect both to cause the same level of error OR that trying to use an undefined constant directly in code would cause a lower level of error. but if you say the error output behaviour is expected/correct/desired then I'm happy to except it (and adjust my expectations accordingly) - if you (anyone) could explain why (because I don't grok the logic behind this behaviour) I would be very grateful, maybe it will bring me one step closer to being able to call myself a real programmer. :-/ anyway thanks for taking the time to reply, I gather that you, Derick (amongst others!), have a plate full of PHP work in the form of unicode and date related stuff (which I am very much looking forward to!) - i.e. you are busy-busy, time is short, etc etc. kind rgds, Jochem > > Derick --- ## #17063 — Nicholas Telford — 2005-07-01T16:07:08+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/17019#17063 · In reply to: #17060 Due to PHPs dynamic typing, unquoted strings are treated as strings unless a constant by that name exists. Thankfully it's clever enough to raise a notice to tell you it couldn't find a constant by that name, which makes debugging much easier. The reason `constant()` throws a warning rather than a notice is because PHP knows you're looking for a constant by that name and flags it as a more serious error, wheras before, it could just be that you want to use an unquoted string :) If you think it's a bit strange, it may seem so, but logically, if an unquoted number is equivilent to it's quoted counter-part, the same must be true for strings. Nicholas Telford Jochem Maas wrote: > Derick Rethans wrote: > > > […] > > > I did. > > > […] > > > ok - agreed that the echo behaviour is logical - but I wasn't actually > pertaining to the echo behaviour (and what was being echo'ed wasn't > relevant to my > original question). > > my point is that using a constant directly in your code when that > constant doesn't exist > only causes an `E_NOTICE` but passing a string to `constant()` when a > constant of the given > name doesn't exist causes an E_WARNING. > > I would either expect both to cause the same level of error OR that > trying to > use an undefined constant directly in code would cause a lower level of > error. > > but if you say the error output behaviour is expected/correct/desired > then I'm > happy to except it (and adjust my expectations accordingly) > - if you (anyone) could explain why (because I don't grok the logic behind > this behaviour) I would be very grateful, maybe it will bring me one > step closer > to being able to call myself a real programmer. :-/ > > anyway thanks for taking the time to reply, > I gather that you, Derick (amongst others!), have a plate full of PHP work > in the form of unicode and date related stuff (which I am very much looking > forward to!) - i.e. you are busy-busy, time is short, etc etc. > > kind rgds, > Jochem > > > > […]