Language: closure use($this) compiles — Zend "Cannot use $this as lexical variable" (Zend/zend_compile.c)

[PurHur]

Category

language · php-src-strict · closures · compile-time fatal

Problem

php-src rejects function () use ($this) at compile time. This compiler accepts the closure, so illegal programs run and print instead of aborting. VM and JIT both take the accept path.

Repro	Zend 8.2+	VM/JIT (2026-08-18 @ 8d228396dc)
$f = function () use ($this) { return 1; }; echo "accepted\n";	Fatal: Cannot use $this as lexical variable (rc=255)	accepted (rc=0)

$this is already bound in instance methods; use ($this) is never legal. Silent accept is a php-src-strict miss, not an error-text nit.

php-src reference

• php/php-src Zend/zend_compile.c — zend_compile_closure() / lexical use list; rejects $this as a captured variable

PHP implementation target

• lib/ closure compile (php-cfg → opcode) — when a use name is $this, emit Zend's compile fatal and abort
• Same path for JIT/AOT; no new runtime/*.c logic

Repro

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'php bin/vm.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_use_this.php 2>&1 | head -5'
./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'php bin/jit.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_use_this.php 2>&1 | head -5'

Done when

• VM and JIT compile-abort with Zend substring Cannot use $this as lexical variable (rc≠0, no accepted output)
• Compliance .phpt guard under test/compliance/cases/language/closure_use_this*.phpt
• php-src-strict; no php-compiler-strict shortcut

[PurHur]

claim: Worker lane B — starting this run

[PurHur]

Merged #32161

VM and JIT now compile-abort function () use ($this) with Zend's Cannot use $this as lexical variable (rc=255, no accepted output). php-src Zend/zend_compile.c zend_compile_closure_binding().

Verification:

• php bin/vm.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_use_this.php → EXIT 255, fatal substring
• php bin/jit.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_use_this.php → EXIT 255, fatal substring
• ./script/phpunit.sh --filter ClosureUseThis → OK (10 tests, 20 assertions)