PHP function can return different & multi-values at first sight, but it can not

Question

<?php

function some_func(){

 return 'some_str_type' && 'another_str_type';
}

function another_func(){

 return '123' || '456';
}


print some_func(); //1 - the same as true

print another_func(); //again prints 1, as true

The clean style of coding of any language dictates, to drop non-small function into small ones - because one function SHOULD return single value.

BUT, i saw this approach in source of some popular php-template langs (smarty, dwoo). So what is that? When to code this way? (mean any real-world situation)

Nanne · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-11 09:30:50Z

4

PHP will return 1 value. What you are doing above is you type an expression, that is evaluated, and the resulting boolean is returned.

return 'some_str_type' && 'another_str_type';

becomes

return true && true;

becomes

return true;

When to use in real life:

function some_func(){
   $success1 = doStuff1();
   $success2 = dostuff2();
   return $success1 && $success2;
}

it will return true if both called functions return true.

answered Apr 11, 2012 at 9:30

Nanne

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2 Comments

Dion Over a year ago

And last example with or would return true if at least one is true.

Nanne Over a year ago

The expression is indeed parsed as you would expect from a logical expression :)

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