[PHP-DEV] hex2bin: E_WARNING is too much for odd string?

[Yasuo Ohgaki]

Hi all,

hex2bin raises E_WARNING for odd length hex strings from PHP 5.4.1.
http://jp2.php.net/manual/en/function.hex2bin.php
However, just returning FALSE is easier for programmers.

Current behavior requires additional length check for bad hex to prevent
E_WARNING.

$str = 'abZ';
if (strlen($str)%2) {
  // BAD hex - invalid length
} else if (hex2bin($str) {
  // BAD hex - invalid char
}

Instead, it would better that hex2bin() just returns FALSE for invalid hex,
IMHO.

$str = 'abZ';
if (strlen($str)%2) {
  // BAD hex - invalid length or char
}

I can understand current behavior as BC. However, it would better cleanup
bad spec sooner or later.

PHP 5.4: Raise E_ERROR and return FALSE for invalid length.
PHP 5.5: Just return FALSE.

or

PHP 5.4: Keep current behavior
PHP 5.4: Riase E_ERROR and return FALSE for invalid length.
PHP 5.5: Remove E_ERROR.

Any ideas?

--
Yasuo Ohgaki
yohg...@ohgaki.net