[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #40397: PHP 7.1.x problem in WP_Query

[WordPress Trac]

#40397: PHP 7.1.x problem in WP_Query
--------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  dglingren     |       Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Query         |     Version:  4.7.3
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                |     Focuses:
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Comment (by dglingren):

 Thanks, @SergeyBiryukov, for your response. Removing the ampersand avoids
 the PHP message but I do not believe it solves the problem. The original
 call on line 1995 of class-wp-query.php reads:

 `$search = apply_filters_ref_array( 'posts_search', array( $search, &$this
 ) );`

 It looks like the WP_Query object is being passed to the filter by
 reference, not by value, so the filter can modify elements such as the
 query_vars array. The Codex documentation for apply_filters_ref_array
 includes:

 "As of PHP 5.4, the array is no longer passed by reference despite the
 function's name. You cannot even use the reference sign '&' because call
 time pass by reference now throws an error. What you can do is pass the
 reference pointer as an array element. Doing so does require all callbacks
 added to the filter to expect a reference pointer. This is not something
 you will see in WordPress actions. This technique is provided for
 informational purposes only.

 {{{
 apply_filters_ref_array( 'my_filter', array( &$args ));

 add_action('my_filter', 'my_callback');
 function my_callback( &$args ) {
     //access values with $args[0], $args[1] etc.
 }
 }}}

 Because the original array was passed by reference, any changes to the
 array elements are applied to the original array outside of the function's
 scope."

 You can see the ampersand in `my_callback`; removing it defeats one
 purpose of the filter. Am I just confused?

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40397#comment:3>
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