# Scary note for gettype() in docs - Thread: https://externals.io/message/47074 - Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/47074 - Started by Stan Vassilev on 2010-03-01T20:35:24+00:00 - Messages: 7 - 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 --- ## #47074 — Stan Vassilev — 2010-03-01T20:35:24+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47074 Hi, The `gettype()` documentation warns people that the returned string is "subject to change". Why is there a function that's subject to change in the API? And just to clarify: I agree is_*() is better if we test for a certain type (as the note says). However, the use scenario for `gettype()` is when we do not test for a certain type (as in, we test for any type), which is less optimal when executed as 5-6 is_*() calls. Regards, Stan Vassilev --- ## #47077 — Markus Fischer — 2010-03-01T22:23:58+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47077 · In reply to: #47074 > The `gettype()` documentation warns people that the returned string is "subject to change". Why is there a function that's subject to change in the API? Probably because of the unicode stuff, might suddenly return "unicode" (still true? don't know) or "binary" what was "string" before .. but this is untested theory right now, but that's the kind of scenario they mean here. HTH --- ## #47079 — Antony Dovgal — 2010-03-01T22:27:17+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47079 · In reply to: #47074 > > Hi, > > The `gettype()` documentation warns people that the returned string is "subject to change". > Why is there a function that's subject to change in the API? Because life is complicated. Because gettype("test") returns "string" in 5.x and "unicode" in 6.0. What exactly are you trying to fix? And what exactly are you proposing? -- Wbr, Antony Dovgal --- http://pinba.org - realtime statistics for PHP --- ## #47080 — Victor Bolshov — 2010-03-02T05:33:32+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47080 · In reply to: #47079 From the user point of view it might seem that 5.x "string" and 6.x "unicode" are all strings, whatever you call them. Still, I am sure there _is_ a background for the decision to distinguish between "string" and "unicode". 2 марта 2010 г. 1:27 пользователь Antony Dovgal написал: > > > […] > > Because life is complicated. > Because gettype("test") returns "string" in 5.x and "unicode" in 6.0. > > What exactly are you trying to fix? And what exactly are you proposing? > > -- > Wbr, > Antony Dovgal > --- > http://pinba.org - realtime statistics for PHP > > -- > > > > -- С уважением, Виктор --- ## #47081 — Stan Vassilev — 2010-03-02T08:22:44+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47081 · In reply to: #47079 > > > […] > > Because life is complicated. > Because gettype("test") returns "string" in 5.x and "unicode" in 6.0. > > What exactly are you trying to fix? And what exactly are you proposing? If I have to propose anything, that'd be for 6.0 unicode strings to return "string" and binary strings to return "binary", as that is more apt for the real-world use cases people will find themselves in (and migrating code will be easier). A PHP user stumbled onto the "subject to change" note and asked if it's safe to use. If differentiating both types of strings in 6.0 is what was intended, then it's perfectly safe to use, and I'll probably file an issue with docs to be more clear about the actual situation. Regards, Stan Vassilev --- ## #47082 — Derick Rethans — 2010-03-02T10:25:15+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47082 · In reply to: #47080 > From the user point of view it might seem that 5.x "string" and 6.x > "unicode" are all strings, whatever you call them. Still, I am sure > there _is_ a background for the decision to distinguish between > "string" and "unicode". Yes, there *has* to be a difference between "string" and "unicode" because otherwise you can't distinguish between binary goo and strings. Derick -- http://derickrethans.nl | http://xdebug.org twitter: @derickr --- ## #47083 — Richard Quadling — 2010-03-02T10:54:55+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/47074#47083 · In reply to: #47082 > > > > […] > > Yes, there *has* to be a difference between "string" and "unicode" > because otherwise you can't distinguish between binary goo and strings. > > Derick > > -- > http://derickrethans.nl | http://xdebug.org > twitter: @derickr > > -- > > > > So