[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #32991: wp_delete_post() does not return a WP_Post object

[WordPress Trac]

#32991: wp_delete_post() does not return a WP_Post object
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 Reporter:  johnbillion                         |       Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)                        |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                              |   Milestone:  Future
Component:  Posts, Post Types                   |  Release
 Severity:  normal                              |     Version:
 Keywords:  needs-docs needs-patch 2nd-opinion  |  Resolution:
                                                |     Focuses:
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Comment (by flixos90):

 Replying to [comment:1 DrewAPicture]:
 > Turns out that the return documentation is actually ''still'' incorrect
 because `wp_trash_post()` can return a `WP_Post` object. Should be
 `array|false|stdClass|WP_Post`, though once we get above about three or
 four types it makes a lot more sense to use something like a `mixed` type
 for readability (what it used to be prior to [29093]).

 Same goes for the documentation of `wp_delete_post_revision()` where it
 also says it can return `array|false|WP_Post|WP_Error|null`. As far as I
 can see it, the function can only return `array|false|stdClass` currently
 (not sure where the `WP_Error` and `null` come from).

 > For that matter, looks like `wp_delete_attachment()` also returns the
 row instead of a `WP_Post` object though `wp_trash_post()` returns a
 `WP_Post` object.

 I'm wondering why `wp_trash_post()` and `wp_untrash_post()` return a post
 array, shouldn't they be adjusted to return an actual `WP_Post` as well to
 be conform (documentation is incorrect as well, not stating that an array
 could be returned)? Since the caller of the trash/untrash functions must
 assume the return value might be a `WP_Post` anyway, there should not be
 any compatibility issues I think. This way all those functions would
 always return a `WP_Post`, never a post array.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/32991#comment:2>
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