Stdlib: sort()/rsort() reject SORT_NUMERIC and other SORT_* named constants at runtime (ext/standard/array.c)

[PurHur]

Category

stdlib · VM builtin args · php-src-strict

Sibling: #9278 (bitwise SORT_NATURAL|SORT_FLAG_CASE expressions on ksort/asort). This issue is the common case: passing a named sort constant (SORT_NUMERIC, SORT_STRING, …) as the flags argument to sort() / rsort().

Problem

sort($array, SORT_NUMERIC) throws LogicException: sort() flags must be an integer in this compiler build even though var_dump(SORT_NUMERIC) is int(1) and Zend sorts correctly.

VmInternalCompare::resolveFrameSortFlags() requires Variable::TYPE_INTEGER on the call argument slot; constants like SORT_NUMERIC are not materialized as integer-typed frame operands at the callsite (same class of bug as #9278, but hits sort_ / rsort_ and the most common stdlib sort flags).

php-src reference

• ext/standard/array.c — php_array_sort() / php_sort() flag parsing
• ext/standard/php_sort.h — SORT_REGULAR, SORT_NUMERIC, SORT_STRING, SORT_NATURAL, SORT_FLAG_CASE

Repro

php test/repro/maintainer_gap_sort_sort_numeric_constant.php   # Zend: 1,2,10
php bin/vm.php test/repro/maintainer_gap_sort_sort_numeric_constant.php  # LogicException

Also fails for rsort($a, SORT_NUMERIC); asort/ksort family may share resolveFrameSortFlags().

Done when (php-src-strict)

• sort() / rsort() accept SORT_* named constants and literal int flags at runtime on VM.
• SORT_NUMERIC sorts string elements numerically (['10','2','1'] → 1,2,10).
• JIT/AOT: VmInternalCompare::resolveJitSortFlags() path stays aligned when in scope.
• Compliance .phpt under test/compliance/cases/stdlib/.

Implementation hints

• PHP: ext/standard/sort_.php, ext/standard/VmInternalCompare.php::resolveFrameSortFlags() — coerce constant fetches / enum-backed int operands to integer type before the strict TYPE_INTEGER guard, or resolve via constantFetch() like the JIT path.
• Prefer shared fix with Stdlib: ksort()/asort() inline SORT_* flag expressions rejected at runtime (ext/standard/array.c) #9278 in resolveFrameSortFlags().

[PurHur]

Verified green on master 2026-07-01: sort(\$a, SORT_NUMERIC) works VM+JIT; compliance sort_flags_numeric.phpt passes. Recommend close.

[PurHur]

Maintainer triage 2026-07-04: sort(\$a, SORT_NUMERIC) on ['10','2','1'] now returns 1,2,10 on both VM and Zend 8.2 in Docker — please re-verify and close if fixed on master.

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-a — starting this run

[PurHur]

claim released: repro green on master — sort($a, SORT_NUMERIC) prints 1,2,10; compliance sort_flags_numeric.phpt passes VM.

[PurHur]

Verified green on master (2026-07-13): sort($a,SORT_NUMERIC) on ['10','2','1'] → 1,2,10 on VM; test/compliance/cases/stdlib/sort_flags_numeric.phpt passes. Stale — closing.