Can some one explain why I get an empty array?

Question

I am not new to php, but I find there optional parameters to be a bit ... unique, or maybe its just me.

If I have the following:

class SomeClass{
    public function some_method($required_param, $optional_array = array()){
        var_dump($optional_array); exit;
    }
}

Then do something like:

$test = new SomeClass();
$test->some_method('required', array('optional'));

I get back as a var_dump array(0){}.

I have even tried:

$test = new SomeClass();
$array = array('optional')
$test->some_method('required', $array);

With the same result. Is it because I am already defining that $optional_array is already set as a empty array? I swear this is how you set optional parameters, according to example 3 So why is it sticking with the default empty array? why is it not seeing that hey, this is already set.

Try var_dump($optional_array); It is not a function.

putvande
– putvande

2014-01-15 23:38:57 +00:00
Commented Jan 15, 2014 at 23:38 — putvande
– putvande, Commented Jan 15, 2014 at 23:38

Funk Forty Niner · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-16 00:15:27Z

1

class SomeClass{
    public function some_method($required_param, $optional_array = array()){
        var_dump($optional_array); exit;
    }
}

Use var_dump($optional_array); not var_dump($optional_array());

edited Jan 16, 2014 at 0:15

Funk Forty Niner

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answered Jan 15, 2014 at 23:39

GeorgeQ

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2 Comments

user3200412 Over a year ago

So I realized my mistake >.> thank you. And I just tried it. same issue. Do I need to pass in by reference?

msg7086 Over a year ago

@user3200412 What do you mean by same issue? I've tried your code and it works perfect now.

putvande · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-15 23:39:40Z

0

You are trying to access your array as if it were a function. So remove the () and it will work:

var_dump($optional_array);

instead of

var_dump($optional_array());

answered Jan 15, 2014 at 23:39

putvande

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Comments

jsd · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-15 23:41:29Z

0

You've got an extraneous set of parentheses on your var_dump. It's trying to call an anonymous function passed in as an array.

Try this:

class SomeClass{
    public function some_method($required_param, $optional_array = array()){
        var_dump($optional_array);
    }
}

$test = new SomeClass();
print "one\n";
$test->some_method('required', array('optional'));
print "two\n";
$test->some_method('required');

The output on my machine is:

one
array(1) {
  [0]=>
  string(8) "optional"
}
two
array(0) {
}

answered Jan 15, 2014 at 23:41

jsd

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