Why is some_function()[some_index] invalid syntax?

Hi there,

Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
expecting ',' or ';')

Thanks,
Arlen.

Arlen Christian Mart Cuss wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
> expecting ',' or ';')
>
> Thanks,
> Arlen.
>

I asked that question years ago. It was explained to me that php does
not have, what is called, messaging. Something that is in lower level
languages.

On Jan 10, 2008, at 8:00 PM, Arlen Christian Mart Cuss <celtic@sairyx.org
> wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
> expecting ',' or ';')
>
> Thanks,
> Arlen.

I've run into this problem. (It works in Javascript >.>)

While I don't know why, you could store it in a temporary variable or
use the list() language construct.

-Casey

On Jan 10, 2008 11:00 PM, Arlen Christian Mart Cuss <celtic@sairyx.org>
wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
> expecting ',' or ';')


thats hillarious, i literally brought this up at the office like 2 days ago.
ill tell you why its really lame (imho), because php5 supports syntax
like this:
function someFunc() {
return date_create();
}
echo someFunc()->format('Y-m-d');

that is, it allows you to chain a method invocation to the invocation of a
function
if the function returns an object.

-nathan

Nathan Nobbe wrote:
> On Jan 10, 2008 11:00 PM, Arlen Christian Mart Cuss <celtic@sairyx.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi there,
>>
>> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
>> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
>> expecting ',' or ';')
>
>
> thats hillarious, i literally brought this up at the office like 2 days ago.
> ill tell you why its really lame (imho), because php5 supports syntax
> like this:
> function someFunc() {
> return date_create();
> }
> echo someFunc()->format('Y-m-d');
>
> that is, it allows you to chain a method invocation to the invocation of a
> function
> if the function returns an object.
>
> -nathan
>

So, make all your functions return objects, and have the object have a
method called get or index or something like that that returns the index
requested. :)

Better yet, make everything an object: String, Numeric, Array, etc

On Jan 11, 2008 12:25 AM, Jim Lucas <lists@cmsws.com> wrote:

> So, make all your functions return objects, and have the object have a
> method called get or index or something like that that returns the index
> requested. :)
>
> Better yet, make everything an object: String, Numeric, Array, etc
>

i like using stdClass as a container sometimes, however it doesnt have
the plethora of utility functions that arrays do :(
there are workarounds of course, but obviously i just store the result to
a variable and subsequently use that.
this is just one of those little things picky, non-commiters like myself
bitch about :)

-nathan

2008. 01. 10, csütörtök keltezéssel 21.25-kor Jim Lucas ezt Ã*rta:
> Nathan Nobbe wrote:
> > On Jan 10, 2008 11:00 PM, Arlen Christian Mart Cuss <celtic@sairyx.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi there,
> >>
> >> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
> >> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
> >> expecting ',' or ';')
> >
> >
> > thats hillarious, i literally brought this up at the office like 2 days ago.
> > ill tell you why its really lame (imho), because php5 supports syntax
> > like this:
> > function someFunc() {
> > return date_create();
> > }
> > echo someFunc()->format('Y-m-d');
> >
> > that is, it allows you to chain a method invocation to the invocation of a
> > function
> > if the function returns an object.
> >
> > -nathan
> >
>
> So, make all your functions return objects, and have the object have a
> method called get or index or something like that that returns the index
> requested. :)
>
> Better yet, make everything an object: String, Numeric, Array, etc

and call it Java ;)

greets
Zoltán Németh

>

On Jan 11, 2008 3:45 AM, Zoltán Németh <znemeth@alterationx.hu> wrote:

> and call it Java ;)
>

or perhaps javascript :)
function cool() {
return [1, 2, 3];
}
alert(cool()[0]);

-nathan

Arlen Christian Mart Cuss schreef:
> Hi there,
>
> Why is it that if I try to evaluate an index of an array returned by a
> function immediately, a syntax error is produced? (unexpected '[',
> expecting ',' or ';')

because it's not valid syntax. strangely enough php is neither <insert other language here>,
nor is it capable of determine valid syntax based on a mind meld with the developer
that wrote the code in question.

but you knew that already really.


>
> Thanks,
> Arlen.
>

Nathan Nobbe wrote:
> On Jan 11, 2008 3:45 AM, Zoltán Németh <znemeth@alterationx.hu> wrote:
>
>> and call it Java ;)
>>
>
> or perhaps javascript :)
> function cool() {
> return [1, 2, 3];
> }
> alert(cool()[0]);
>
> -nathan
>

or Ruby

--
Jim Lucas

"Some men are born to greatness, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon them."

Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V
by William Shakespeare