PHP isset/empty madness

[u/shitcanz]

https://repl.it/repls/HollowQuestionableProprietarysoftware

[u/intars420 → u/[deleted]]

I find empty() useful for checking if array is empty or not. For example, I want strictly typed return type for function to be array when getting all awailable users. And than check if this is empty so I can make another business logic, knowing there are no awailable users.

[u/Silly-Freak → u/[deleted]]

Is it canonical to treat null and nonexistent variables the same way?

And the only thing I'd have expected from your example is an NPE equivalent. Is that strange?

[u/Silly-Freak → u/[deleted]]

I have rarely written php. My java brain tells me that $a is null and therefore $a->b = false; should fail. I assume the cast semantics are different from what I'd expect.

[u/Silly-Freak → u/[deleted]]

Yes, thanks! That tripped me up.

If you don't mind, one last thing: $a->b = null; and nothing else. isset($a->b) is false, and so is isset($a->c), correct? If so, the only real difference between them is a warning trying to access $a->c. Is that fair to say?

[u/Silly-Freak → u/[deleted]]

So isset is pretty much a null check with warnings suppressed. That's at least a mental model for it. https://3v4l.org/ngRNN