rfc:allow_null

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rfc:allow_null [2021/12/23 22:07] – created craigfrancisrfc:allow_null [2022/02/20 20:19] – Possible options craigfrancis
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 ====== PHP RFC: Allow NULL ====== ====== PHP RFC: Allow NULL ======
  
-  * Version: 1.0+  * Version: 1.3
   * Voting Start: ?   * Voting Start: ?
   * Voting End: ?   * Voting End: ?
   * RFC Started: 2021-12-23   * RFC Started: 2021-12-23
-  * RFC Updated: 2021-12-23+  * RFC Updated: 2022-02-20
   * Author: Craig Francis, craig#at#craigfrancis.co.uk   * Author: Craig Francis, craig#at#craigfrancis.co.uk
-  * Status: ?+  * Status: Draft
   * First Published at: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/allow_null   * First Published at: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/allow_null
   * GitHub Repo: https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc   * GitHub Repo: https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc
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 ===== Introduction ===== ===== Introduction =====
  
-PHP 8.1 introduced "Passing null to parameter X of type string is deprecated" with internal functions ([[https://externals.io/message/112327|discussion]]), which is making it difficult for developers to upgrade, especially for those who do not use //strict_types//.+PHP 8.1 introduced "Deprecate passing null to non-nullable arguments of internal functions" ([[https://externals.io/message/112327|short discussion]]), which is making it difficult (time consuming) for developers to upgrade.
  
-Often //NULL// is used for undefined //GET/////POST/////COOKIE// variables:+This has introduced an inconstancy when not using //strict_types=1//, because most variables types (e.g. integers) can be coerced to the relevant type, but //NULL// has been deprecated. 
 + 
 +In PHP //NULL// is often used to represent something; e.g. when a //GET/////POST/////COOKIE// variable is undefined:
  
 <code php> <code php>
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 </code> </code>
  
-And //NULL// can be returned from many functions, e.g.+And //NULL// can be returned from functions, e.g.
  
   * //array_pop()//   * //array_pop()//
-  * //error_get_last()//+  * //filter_input()//
   * //mysqli_fetch_row()//   * //mysqli_fetch_row()//
 +  * //error_get_last()//
   * //json_decode()//   * //json_decode()//
-  * //filter_input()// 
  
-Currently this change only affects those using PHP 8.1 with //E_DEPRECATED//, but it implies everyone will need to modify their code in the future.+This makes it common for //NULL// to be passed to many internal functions, e.g. 
 + 
 +<code php> 
 +trim($name); 
 +strtoupper($name); 
 +strlen($name); 
 +urlencode($name); 
 +htmlspecialchars($name); 
 +hash('sha256', $name); 
 +preg_match('/^[a-z]/', $name); 
 +setcookie('name', $name); 
 +socket_write($socket, $name); 
 +xmlwriter_text($writer, $name); 
 +</code> 
 + 
 +Developers also use //NULL// to skip certain parameters, e.g. //$additional_headers// in //mail()//. 
 + 
 +Where //NULL// has always been coerced into an empty string, the integer 0, the boolean false, etc. 
 + 
 +Currently the deprecation notices only affect those using PHP 8.1 with //E_DEPRECATED//, but it implies everyone will need to modify their code to avoid **Fatal Errors** in PHP 9.0. 
 + 
 +Developers using //strict_types=1// may find some value in this, but it's excessive and inconstant for everyone else. 
 + 
 +And while individual changes are easy, there are many of them (time consuming), difficult to find, and often pointless, e.g.
  
-And those modifications are not easy (both in finding them, and quantity).+  * urlencode(strval($name)); 
 +  * urlencode((string) $name); 
 +  * urlencode($name ?? '');
  
-Developers will need to either use these deprecation warnings, or use strict static analysis (one that can determine when a variable can be //NULL//; e.g. Psalm at [[https://psalm.dev/docs/running_psalm/error_levels/|level 3]], with no baseline).+To find these issues, developers need to either - use these deprecation notices, or use very strict Static Analysis (one that can determine when a variable can be //NULL//; e.g. Psalm at [[https://psalm.dev/docs/running_psalm/error_levels/|level 3]], with no baseline).
  
-This affects every variable that could be set to //NULL//, when they are passed to any internal function that has deprecated the NULL value. And every time, developers will need to change their code, typically with the seemingly pointless task of converting those //NULL// values to an empty string.+It's worth noting that some parameters, like //$separator// in //explode()//, already have a "cannot be empty" Fatal Error. So it might be useful to have a separate RFC to update some of these parameters to consistently reject NULL **or** Empty Strings, e.g. //$needle// in //strpos()// and //$json// in //json_decode()//.
  
 ===== Proposal ===== ===== Proposal =====
  
-To make upgrading easier, we could either:+There are 3 possible approaches:
  
-  - Allow //NULL// when //strict_types// is not being used; +  - NULL triggers a Fatal Error with strict_types=1, otherwise allow coercion (like how integers can be coerced to a string). 
-  - Update some of the internal functions to accept //NULL//.+  - NULL triggers a Fatal Error for everyone, but update some parameters to explicitly allow NULL (e.g. //?string//). 
 +  - NULL triggers a Fatal Error for everyone (forget about backwards compatibility). 
 + 
 +This needs to be done before the eventual end of the deprecation period, and //TypeError// exceptions are thrown. 
 + 
 +If we choose to "update some parameters to explicitly allow NULL", there is a [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-change.md|draft list of functions]], where the **bold** are being proposed (currently only includes string parameters). [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/issues|Suggestions]] and [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/pulls|Pull Requests]] welcome. 
 + 
 +There is also a [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-maybe.md|Maybe List]], where the more questionable arguments end with a "!". For example, //strrpos()// accepting an empty string for //$needle// is wired in itself, and //sodium_crypto_box_open()// should never receive a blank //$ciphertext//. And there is an [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-other.md|Other List]], which can be ignored. 
 + 
 +===== Decision Process ===== 
 + 
 +Does //NULL// for this parameter justify a Fatal Error? e.g. 
 + 
 +  - //preg_match()// should **deprecate** //NULL// for //$pattern// ("empty regular expression" warning). 
 +  - //preg_match()// should **accept** //NULL// for //$subject// (e.g. checking user input). 
 +  - //hash_file()// should **deprecate** //NULL// for the //$filename//. 
 +  - //hash()// should **accept** //NULL// for //$data//. 
 +  - //substr_count()// should **deprecate** //NULL// for //$needle// ("$needle cannot be empty" error). 
 +  - //mb_convert_encoding()// should **deprecate** //NULL// for //$to_encoding// (requires a valid encoding).
  
 ===== Backward Incompatible Changes ===== ===== Backward Incompatible Changes =====
  
-N/A+None
  
 ===== Proposed PHP Version(s) ===== ===== Proposed PHP Version(s) =====
  
-PHP 8.1+PHP 8.2
  
 ===== RFC Impact ===== ===== RFC Impact =====
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 ===== Open Issues ===== ===== Open Issues =====
  
-TODO+Is the [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-change.md|list of functions]] complete?
  
 ===== Future Scope ===== ===== Future Scope =====
  
-TODO+Some function parameters could be updated to complain when an //NULL// **or** //Empty String// is provided; e.g. //$method// in //method_exists()//, or //$characters// in //trim()//.
  
 ===== Voting ===== ===== Voting =====
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 TODO TODO
  
-===== Patches and Tests =====+===== Tests =====
  
-TODO+To get and **Test** the list of functions, I wrote a script to //get_defined_functions()//, then used //ReflectionFunction()// to identify parameters that accepted the 'string' type, and not //->allowsNull()//. This resulted in the [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-change.md|list of functions to change]], where I manually removed the [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions-other.md|functions that shouldn't be changed]], and updated the script to test every argument (to see that it complained with //NULL//, and the output remained the same) - [[https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-allow-null-rfc/blob/main/functions.php|Source]].
  
 ===== Implementation ===== ===== Implementation =====
  
-TODO+https://github.com/craigfrancis/php-src/compare/master...allow-null
  
-===== Rejected Features =====+This patch defines //Z_PARAM_STR_ALLOW_NULL//.
  
-TODO+It works a bit like //Z_PARAM_STR_OR_NULL//, but it will return an empty string instead of //NULL//.
  
 +It's a fairly easy drop in replacement for //Z_PARAM_STR//, e.g. [[https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/7b90ebeb3f954123915f6d62fb7b2cd3fdf3c6ec/ext/standard/html.c#L1324|htmlspecialchars()]].
  
 +===== Rejected Features =====
  
----+TODO
  
-====== Notes ======+===== Notes =====
  
-Interesting to note that this goes against the example quote from [[http://news.php.net/php.internals/71525|Rasmus]]:+Interesting the example quote from [[http://news.php.net/php.internals/71525|Rasmus]] is:
  
 > PHP is and should remain: > PHP is and should remain:
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 > 2) a loosely typed language > 2) a loosely typed language
 > 3) a language which caters to the skill-levels and platforms of a wide range of users > 3) a language which caters to the skill-levels and platforms of a wide range of users
- 
- 
- 
-grep -h -r -E '^\s*(ZEND_FUNCTION|PHP_FUNCTION|static void)|Z_PARAM_STR\(' ./php-src/ 
- 
-Search 
-  ^(\s*(ZEND_FUNCTION|PHP_FUNCTION|static void).*\n)*(ZEND_FUNCTION\(|PHP_FUNCTION\(|static void *)(.+?)(\)|\().* 
-Replace 
-  $4 
  
rfc/allow_null.txt · Last modified: 2022/04/05 17:49 by craigfrancis

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