Stdlib: ReflectionFunction / ReflectionFunctionAbstract — basic API parity (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c)

[PurHur]

Category

stdlib · php-src-strict

Problem

ReflectionFunction / ReflectionFunctionAbstract are instantiable but non-functional on the VM: construction succeeds, yet instance methods like getName() fail with "Method call on non-object" — blocking DI containers, PHPUnit-style runners, and self-host tooling that introspects named functions (e.g. compile.php entrypoints).

Parent umbrella for reflection slices: #5141 (hasReturnType), #6597 (getReturnType / isDeprecated), #4469 (ReflectionProperty::getValue/setValue), #6678 (internal functions like strlen).

Verified 2026-06-06:

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && php bin/vm.php -r "
function f(int \$x, \$y = 3): int { return \$x + \$y; }
\$r = new ReflectionFunction(\"f\");
var_dump(\$r->getName());
"'
# Method call on non-object

Check	Zend PHP 8.2	bin/vm.php
new ReflectionFunction('f')	ReflectionFunction object	object (construct OK)
->getName()	string(1) "f"	Method call on non-object
->getParameters()	array(2)	not reached
new ReflectionFunction('strlen')	object	see #6678 (existence error)

php-src reference

• php/php-src ext/reflection/php_reflection.c — reflection_function_object_ctor, zim_ReflectionFunction_getName, getParameters, getFileName, getStartLine
• php/php-src ext/reflection/php_reflection.stub.php — ReflectionFunctionAbstract hierarchy
• Internal functions: reflection_function_ctor rejects internals — Stdlib: ReflectionFunction on internal functions — strlen/array_map throw "does not exist" (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #6678

Repro (inline — add test/repro-maintainer/parity_reflection_function.php in PR)

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

function f(int $x, $y = 3): int {
    return $x + $y;
}

$r = new ReflectionFunction('f');
var_dump($r->getName());
var_dump(count($r->getParameters()));
$p0 = $r->getParameters()[0];
var_dump($p0->getName());
var_dump($p0->hasType());

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh
php repro.php
php bin/vm.php repro.php
'

Expected Zend output: string(1) "f", int(2), string(1) "x", bool(true).

Scope (this repo)

Layer	Path
Function registry	lib/Compiler/FunctionCompileRegistry.php or compile-time export — map function name → params, return type, file/line
VM object	ext/standard/VmReflection.php — materialize ReflectionFunction handle wrapping registry entry
Builtin classes	lib/VM/BuiltinClasses.php — ReflectionFunctionAbstract base + ReflectionFunction
Parameters	Reuse existing ReflectionParameter materialization
Methods v1	getName, getParameters, getFileName, getStartLine, getEndLine, isUserDefined, returnsReference
Methods v2	getReturnType() → #6597; closure objects → separate issue
Tests	test/compliance/cases/stdlib/reflection_function_basic.phpt

PHP-in-PHP: metadata from compile registry in lib/; no C reflection tables (#5301 migration).

Done when

• Repro prints f, 2, x, hasType() === true on VM
• ReflectionFunction appears in class_exists / extends ReflectionFunctionAbstract
• ./script/ci-fast.sh --filter reflection_function green
• Unblocks Stdlib: ReflectionMethod::getReturnType() / isDeprecated() / hasTentativeReturnType() — typed return introspection (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #6597 return-type reflection on functions

Verification

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && vendor/bin/phpunit --filter reflection_function'

Related

• Stdlib: ReflectionMethod::hasReturnType() missing (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #5141 · Stdlib: ReflectionMethod::getReturnType() / isDeprecated() / hasTentativeReturnType() — typed return introspection (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #6597 · Stdlib: ReflectionFunction on internal functions — strlen/array_map throw "does not exist" (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #6678 internal functions · Stdlib: ReflectionProperty::getValue()/setValue() — static/instance + TypeError/ReflectionException parity (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #4469 · Epic: Self-host critical path — compiler compiles itself (M3→M5) #1492

[PurHur]

Parity backlog audit — expanded spec (2026-06-18)

Status update: Partial progress since the 2026-06-06 verification. Re-audit on VM:

API	Zend	VM (2026-06-18)
new ReflectionFunction('f')	object	object ✓
->getName()	'f'	'f' ✓ (was broken)
->getParameters()	array(2)	array(2) ✓
->getNumberOfParameters()	2	missing method → #9723
->getReturnType() on mixed	ReflectionNamedType	broken/uninitialized (fatal on var_export)
->getReturnType() on never	'never'	#9655

Remaining repro (track here + #9723 + #9655)

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
function f(int $x, $y = 3): mixed { return $x; }
$r = new ReflectionFunction('f');
var_dump($r->getName());
var_dump($r->getNumberOfParameters()); // #9723
$rt = $r->getReturnType();
var_dump($rt?->getName()); // should be 'mixed'

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && php bin/vm.php repro.php'

Done when (umbrella — update acceptance)

• Baseline repro: getName(), getParameters(), getNumberOfParameters() match Zend
• getReturnType() returns usable ReflectionNamedType for built-in types incl. mixed/never
• ./script/ci-fast.sh --filter reflection_function green
• Close when Stdlib: ReflectionFunctionAbstract::getNumberOfParameters() missing (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #9723, Stdlib: ReflectionFunction::getReturnType() on never — TypeError not 'never' (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #9655, Stdlib: ReflectionFunction on internal functions — strlen/array_map throw "does not exist" (ext/reflection/php_reflection.c) #6678 (internal functions) are green

Workers: claim #9723 first for the missing method; keep return-type fixes scoped to #9655 / this umbrella.

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-a — starting this run

[PurHur]

Merged via #18517.

Fix: Registered ReflectionFunctionAbstract as an abstract VM builtin and linked ReflectionFunction / ReflectionMethod via parentLc (+ JIT Object_ parent links for compile-time is_subclass_of).

Verification (VM + JIT compliance):

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && vendor/bin/phpunit --filter reflection_function_basic'
# OK (2 tests, 2 assertions)

Issue repro (getName, getParameters, hasType, is_subclass_of(ReflectionFunction, ReflectionFunctionAbstract)) now matches Zend on VM.