checking if a array value is not empty without php warnings

Question

I'm using Zend_Form subclasses to pass array of data to my controllers and sometimes I need some extra logic in the controllers, as such:

$post = $request->getPost();
if (array_key_exists('signatureData', $post) && !empty($post['signatureData'])) {
   ...
}

To avoid getting php warnings, first, I need to check if the signatureData key exists and only then I can check if the value is not empty.

Anyway I can make this IF statement a little shorter without adding custom php function?

Tom van der Woerdt · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-29 18:51:51Z

6

Accepted standard :

if (isset($post['signatureData']) && !empty($post['signatureData']))

Apparently, this is also possible :

if (!empty($post['signatureData']))

-edit-

If you're really lazy, there's a dirty way :

if (@$post['signatureData'])

I'd recommend against it though.

As pointed out in the comments, don't actually use this. It's bad, bad, bad bad, bad. Really though, please don't ever use it. It's only here as a reference.

edited Nov 29, 2011 at 18:51

answered Nov 29, 2011 at 18:31

Tom van der Woerdt

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6 Comments

Julien Over a year ago

isnt an empty check enough? if the key doesnt exist, an empty check will return true, and if the key does exist but contains no value, empty will also return true.

nickb Over a year ago

@Julien - It is not enough, as it will raise a notice of an undefined index if $post['signatureData'] is not set. I would also remove "the dirty way" as a possibility, as its a poor technique to create a habit out of.

Tom van der Woerdt Over a year ago

It will also give a Notice: warning about checking an undefined index.

Julien Over a year ago

if the key doesn't exist, an empty check will return true and NOT raise a notice. From the PHP docs: "empty() is the opposite of (boolean) var, except that no warning is generated when the variable is not set."

Tom van der Woerdt Over a year ago

Hmm, interesting - didn't know that, and I've never seen it used like that in code. Will update my answer :-)

|

Fatmuemoo · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-30 02:30:35Z

1

Using zf, use this

If ($request->getParam('signatureData', false))

Best practice IMO

answered Nov 30, 2011 at 2:30

Fatmuemoo

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