ID: 27406
Comment by: de_bruut at hotmail dot com
Reported By: thomas at stauntons dot org
Status: Assigned
Bug Type: Unknown/Other Function
Operating System: All
PHP Version: php5.0-200412100930
Assigned To: iliaa
New Comment:
Couple of points:
1. there are already half a dozen functions that include files or
execute strings
2. there's no other function that allows you to check the validity of a
piece of php code
3. right now, php_check_syntax does more than its name implies (it
includes the file)
4. there are several situations where a 'clean' lint check of php code
is useful (snippet submissions, UNIT TESTS(!), ...)
5. in general, functions should do only one thing, not two only
slightly related things, and one of them badly
I would love to see php_check_syntax implemented as its name implies: a
lint check for a STRING. Not a file (see Wylie's comment), because there
are enough functions to read a file or stream into a string.
If someone wants to include the file afterwards, they only need to add
a single line of code, or they can write their own two-line function.
This even leaves them the choice between include() and include_once(),
something which php_check_syntax does not do at this point.
Did I mention the potential value of php_check_syntax for >> UNIT TESTS
<< yet? php_check_syntax would allow us to check the syntax of a file
(string) as the first of a group of tests for that file/class, and thus
avoiding a potential fatal error, which could interrupt an entire set of
tests on multiple files. Thus, a syntax check could make quite a number
of very serious PHP developers very happy. Not much point if
php_check_syntax immediately includes the file (string) though...
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2005-02-09 21:42:13] du at bestwaytech dot com
There is one other difference between include and php_check_syntax that
should be noted in the manual. Aside from supressing output buffer, it
only includes functions and classes, it does not set or affect global
variables, the way include() would.
If you have "test.php"
$myvar = 1;
echo $myvar;
function myfunction() {}
class myclass {}
include ("test.php") will set $myvar, print $myvar and set myfunction &
myclass
php_check_syntax("test.php") will ONLY include myfunction & myclass
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2005-01-29 04:35:48] wylie at geekasylum dot org
There seems to be a lot of discussion on whether this is a bug or a
misuse. Here is something else to consider:
de_bruut mentioned above that a syntax check function as described in
the documentation of this function would be useful for development and
testing, and I agree, but it also has other uses.
I am about to write a code repository website where users can submit
snippets (no smaller than complete functions) and it would be great to
be able to check the syntax of the uploaded code on the fly and reject
or accept it right there while the submitter is still online. This be
one less admin check to do before the code was accepted to the site.
Checking uploaded code snippets from the public is a huge security rick
if the syntax checker includes or executes the code, but a simple lint
check would be a huge boon to developers and code geeks like myself.
In my case, it would be fantastic if we could optionally syntax check a
string rather than a disk file as the code on my site would be stored in
a database (and I imagine many other repositories would do the same).
In the case of this bug a decision needs to be made as to whether the
code or the documentation expresses the true value of this function,
and one or other (ie: the code or the docco) needs to be fixed. This
bug has been open almost a year and it seems that decision still has
not been made.
If the documentation is correct and the function is a simple lint
checker, people can then include() any code that checks as valid if
they desire to, (some dont) but if the syntax checker includes the code
itself, then people like myself cant use it at all as the code to be
checked has no relation to the running website (and should never be
included).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2005-01-25 20:12:15] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
fix assign to
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2005-01-25 19:56:39] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
It's like include() except it won't output the "checked" file (like if
the "checked" file has an echo, it won't echo it). Aside from the
obvious that's the only difference I notice but haven't tested it
thoroughly.
Sounds like this bug will never be fixed so I guess we should just
document the current behavior.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2004-12-14 00:30:08] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I see it's assigned to Ilia so I'm not changing the status. Personally
I would put this on very low priority for resolving. Whoever added the
lint functionality probably did it for the command-line PHP in order to
be able to quickly check a large amount of source code. I don't see this
as a mainstream feature of PHP and would avoid hacking on getting it
right as to not intefere with the normal execution of PHP (although
it's quite possible).
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the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at
http://bugs.php.net/27406
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