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Groups > comp.lang.php > #12906

Re: Operator precedence

From Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net>
Newsgroups comp.lang.php
Subject Re: Operator precedence
Date 2014-02-23 16:34 -0500
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <ledph5$uor$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <530a29f4$0$9507$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net> <XnsA2DDC87DF29ECR2D2@127.0.0.1>

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On 2/23/2014 2:42 PM, GS wrote:
> Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> wrote:
>
>> I've stumbled upon the following code:
>>
>>    !$a && $a = 42;
>>
>> Apparently, this is meant instead of
>>
>>    if (!$a) $a = 42;
>>
>> or
>>
>>    !$a AND $a = 42;
>>
>> However, I am quite confused that it works because the = operator has
>> lower precendence than the && operator[1].  Actually that should mean
>> the statement is equivalent to
>>
>>    (!$a && $a) = 42;
>>
>> But this obviously won't work.
>>
>> Why does the mentioned statement has the "expected" result?  Is it
>> reliable to write it that way?
>>
>> [1] <http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.operators.precedence.php>
>>
>
> This shows one of the major problems with PHP: there is no formal language
> definition, you have to go by examples in the help file to intuit what is
> or is not valid. Where is the BNF definition of the language? There is none
> AFAICT.
>

Incorrect.  There is a formal definition, as indicated in the doc at 
www.php.net.

> Under "Control structures" the PHP help file says "Any PHP script is built
> out of a series of statements" but offers no definition of what constitutes
> a statement. Under "Expressions" the manual says "Expressions are the most
> important building stones of PHP. In PHP, almost anything you write is an
> expression." How do we square that with the previous claim? In the end I
> think you should avoid using PHP for anything critical since it is a
> language defined by handwaving, where you can't formally determine the
> meaning of a construct, yuo either have to try it out or find an analogous
> example in the help file.
>

Yes, and both "statements" and "expressions" have had specific 
definitions when it comes to computer programming for at least 50 years. 
  It is no different in PHP.

They are correct.  Almost anything is an expression.  A statement is one 
or more expressions terminated by a ';'.

PHP is a well-defined language very suitable for critical work.  Just 
because you don't understand it does not mean it's a poor language.  It 
means you need to broaden your understanding of word definitions.

> In your example, the answer to why the construction works is given in a
> footnote to the section "Operator Precedence" which states
>
> "Note: Although = has a lower precedence than most other operators, PHP
> will still allow expressions similar to the following: if (!$a = foo()), in
> which case the return value of foo() is put into $a. "
>

Yes, a side effect in the language.

> The formal meaning of this footnote is "BOOGA BOOGA!"
>

The formal meaning of your statement is "bull shite".


> This kind of thing give me the heeby jeebies and makes me think I should be
> using some other language for server side scripting (maybe perl is better
> defined?)
>

Good.  Please use some other language then.  We have enough idiots using 
PHP as it is.

-- 
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

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Thread

Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-23 18:03 +0100
  Re: Operator precedence GS <nomail@nospam.org.invalid> - 2014-02-23 19:42 +0000
    Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-23 21:23 +0100
    Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-23 16:34 -0500
      Re: Operator precedence Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-02-23 18:36 -0500
        Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-23 21:09 -0500
          Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-24 04:49 +0000
            Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-24 12:56 +0100
              Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-24 17:38 +0100
              Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-24 21:25 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 00:38 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 01:07 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 01:37 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 02:12 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 03:29 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 19:41 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 19:55 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 21:36 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 03:08 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 04:17 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 04:45 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence GS <nomail@nospam.org.invalid> - 2014-02-25 21:45 +0000
            Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 07:00 -0500
              Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-24 18:11 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 14:27 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 01:25 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 20:40 -0500
              Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-24 21:23 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 16:45 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 04:32 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 23:47 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 16:56 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 13:59 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 20:19 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-25 20:43 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 16:02 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 16:01 -0500
                Object constructors/destructors (was: Operator precedence) Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 22:19 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 16:32 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 22:55 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 17:01 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Adam Harvey <usenet@adamharvey.name> - 2014-02-25 23:22 +0000
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 21:10 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-26 21:10 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-26 16:01 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-26 22:59 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-26 17:19 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-26 23:39 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-26 22:30 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-27 18:28 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-27 16:09 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-28 14:52 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-28 09:08 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-28 16:52 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-28 11:03 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-27 01:00 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-26 22:39 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-02-27 18:29 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-27 16:14 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-26 00:18 +0100
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-25 21:08 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-02-26 07:50 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-26 08:44 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-02-26 23:49 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-27 08:25 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-03-01 12:56 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-03-01 14:22 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-03-02 14:28 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-03-02 15:42 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-03-02 17:14 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-03-02 17:48 -0500
                Re: Object constructors/destructors Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2014-03-02 23:05 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 21:08 +0000
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 22:29 +0100
                Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-25 23:15 +0000
              Re: Operator precedence Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-02-24 22:41 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-02-24 23:59 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-03-01 13:39 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-03-01 14:29 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-03-02 15:22 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-03-02 15:49 -0500
                Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-25 19:15 +0100
  Re: Operator precedence Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2014-02-23 20:56 +0000
    Re: Operator precedence Christoph Michael Becker <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-02-24 14:28 +0100

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