Error: "Only variables can be passed by reference" in PHP script

Question

I am having the error "Fatal error: Only variables can be passed by reference" in the following lines of code.

$ag = array(M($forge[2][$i], NULL, TRUE), M($about[0]["text"], "Less", TRUE), M($address[0]["text"], NULL, TRUE), M($phone[0]["text"], NULL, TRUE), M($website[0]["text"], "...", TRUE));

if(CAT)
    array_push($ag, M($cat[1], NULL, TRUE));

$pf_args =  str_replace("%s, ", "", PLACEHOLDER, 4 - count($_POST['ad']));

file_put_contents("files/" . FILENAME . ".sql", vsprintf($pf_args, $ag), FILE_APPEND);

The message shows error in the last line. Can any one suggest me the reason?

(Edit): M() is defined as:

function M($text, $str = NULL, $escape = FALSE) {
    if (!empty($str))
        $text = str_replace($str, "", $text);
    $text = str_replace("(Edit)", "", $text);
    $text = str_replace("More", "", $text);
    $text = str_replace("Less", "", $text);
    $text = str_replace("<br>", "\n", $text);
    if ($escape)
        return mysql_escape_string(trimText(html_entity_decode(strip_tags($text))));
    else
        return trimText(html_entity_decode(strip_tags($text)));
}

@Gumbo: the file_put_contents() one and M() just does few string replacements. — Shubham
– Shubham, Commented Apr 1, 2012 at 8:10

Basti · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-01 08:40:50Z

7

The problem is this line:

$pf_args =  str_replace("%s, ", "", PLACEHOLDER, 4 - count($_POST['ad']));

The last argument is just for outputting the number of replacements. You have to pass a variable here, not the expression 4 - count($_POST['ad']). Just remove the last argument and it will work.

mixed str_replace ( mixed $search , mixed $replace , mixed $subject [, int &$count ] )

http://php.net/manual/en/function.str-replace.php

If you want to limit the number of replacements, there are implementations of str_replace_once in the comments of str_replace's manual page.

edited Apr 1, 2012 at 8:40

answered Apr 1, 2012 at 8:20

Basti

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1 Comment

Basti Over a year ago

I'm sorry to hear, that you are not open to constructive criticism.

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