Why can't I index the mysql returned array? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Access array returned by a function in php

The code:

$cnt = mysql_fetch_row(mysql_query("SELECT FOUND_ROWS()"))[0]

Is giving the error:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '[' in index.php on line 117

Same for:

$cnt = (mysql_fetch_row(mysql_query("SELECT FOUND_ROWS()")))[0]

This code:

$cnt = mysql_fetch_row(mysql_query("SELECT FOUND_ROWS()"));
$cnt = $cnt[0];

is working fine.

What's going on here?

That's a PHP syntax limitation. Only PHP 5.4 will allow that. — bfavaretto
– bfavaretto, Commented May 13, 2012 at 0:44
@bfavaretto, Is there anything I can read about it? Are there other things like this? — mowwwalker
– mowwwalker, Commented May 13, 2012 at 0:44
I couldn't find much, but check this: wiki.php.net/rfc/functionarraydereferencing — bfavaretto
– bfavaretto, Commented May 13, 2012 at 0:47
You could use either $cnt = mysql_result(mysql_query("SELECT FOUND_ROWS()")),0) or $cnt = current(mysql_fetch_row(mysql_query("SELECT FOUND_ROWS()"))). — kba
– kba, Commented May 13, 2012 at 0:48

rjz · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-13 00:45:01Z

4

It isn't just a problem with mysql_query--rather, it's an idiosyncracy in the way that PHP <5.4 handles bracket notation. The following will fail, as well:

function get_array() {
  return array('foo', 'bar');
}

echo get_array()[0];

But, as you observed, setting the result before attempting to retrieve an element works fine:

$arr = get_array();
echo $arr[0];

answered May 13, 2012 at 0:45

rjz

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5 Comments

mowwwalker Over a year ago

That's annoying -.- Is there a reason for it?

rjz Over a year ago

That's the million-dollar question for an awful lot of PHPisms :^)

kba Over a year ago

@Walkerneo No, not really. As already mentioned by bfavaretto, it's been fixed in 5.4. PHP has many oddities like this.

PeeHaa Over a year ago

Array dereferencing

chrisn Over a year ago

@Walkerneo I suppose you have to continue to dig if you want more info, but the reason claims to be that this patch was rejected for a long time because "due to uncertainties about memory issues, as we don't like memory leaks."

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