戻り値

オプションの return 文により値を返すことができます。 配列やオブジェクトを含むあらゆる型を返すことができます。 これにより、関数の実行を任意の箇所で終了し、その関数を呼び出した 箇所に制御を戻すことが出来ます。詳細に関しては return を参照ください。

注意:

return を省略した場合は null を返します。

return の使いかた

例1 return の使用法

<?php
function square($num)
{
return
$num * $num;
}
echo
square(4); // '16'を出力
?>

関数は複数の値を返すことは出来ませんが、 配列を返すことで似たような結果を得ることができます。

例2 複数の値を得るために配列を返す例

<?php
function small_numbers()
{
return [
0, 1, 2];
}
// 配列を展開させると、配列のそれぞれのメンバが個別に得られます。
[$zero, $one, $two] = small_numbers();

// PHP 7.1.0 より前のバージョンで上と同じことをするには、
// 言語構造 list を使うしかありません。
list($zero, $one, $two) = small_numbers();

?>

関数からリファレンスを返すためには、 関数宣言と戻り値を代入する変数に対して、 リファレンス演算子 & を使います:

例3 関数からリファレンスを返す

<?php
function &returns_reference()
{
return
$someref;
}

$newref =& returns_reference();
?>

リファレンスに関する詳細は、リファレンスの説明 を参照ください。

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User Contributed Notes 10 notes

up
31
ryan dot jentzsch at gmail dot com
7 years ago
PHP 7.1 allows for void and null return types by preceding the type declaration with a ? -- (e.g. function canReturnNullorString(): ?string)

However resource is not allowed as a return type:

<?php
function fileOpen(string $fileName, string $mode): resource
{
   
$handle = fopen($fileName, $mode);
    if (
$handle !== false)
    {
        return
$handle;
    }
}

$resourceHandle = fileOpen("myfile.txt", "r");
?>

Errors with:
Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: Return value of fileOpen() must be an instance of resource, resource returned.
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30
rstaveley at seseit dot com
13 years ago
Developers with a C background may expect pass by reference semantics for arrays. It may be surprising that  pass by value is used for arrays just like scalars. Objects are implicitly passed by reference.

<?php

# (1) Objects are always passed by reference and returned by reference

class Obj {
    public
$x;
}

function
obj_inc_x($obj) {
   
$obj->x++;
    return
$obj;
}

$obj = new Obj();
$obj->x = 1;

$obj2 = obj_inc_x($obj);
obj_inc_x($obj2);

print
$obj->x . ', ' . $obj2->x . "\n";

# (2) Scalars are not passed by reference or returned as such

function scalar_inc_x($x) {
   
$x++;
    return
$x;
}

$x = 1;

$x2 = scalar_inc_x($x);
scalar_inc_x($x2);

print
$x . ', ' . $x2 . "\n";

# (3) You have to force pass by reference and return by reference on scalars

function &scalar_ref_inc_x(&$x) {
   
$x++;
    return
$x;
}

$x = 1;

$x2 =& scalar_ref_inc_x($x);    # Need reference here as well as the function sig
scalar_ref_inc_x($x2);

print
$x . ', ' . $x2 . "\n";

# (4) Arrays use pass by value sematics just like scalars

function array_inc_x($array) {
   
$array{'x'}++;
    return
$array;
}

$array = array();
$array['x'] = 1;

$array2 = array_inc_x($array);
array_inc_x($array2);

print
$array['x'] . ', ' . $array2['x'] . "\n";

# (5) You have to force pass by reference and return by reference on arrays

function &array_ref_inc_x(&$array) {
   
$array{'x'}++;
    return
$array;
}

$array = array();
$array['x'] = 1;

$array2 =& array_ref_inc_x($array); # Need reference here as well as the function sig
array_ref_inc_x($array2);

print
$array['x'] . ', ' . $array2['x'] . "\n";
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18
bgalloway at citycarshare dot org
16 years ago
Be careful about using "do this thing or die()" logic in your return lines.  It doesn't work as you'd expect:

<?php
function myfunc1() {
    return(
'thingy' or die('otherthingy'));
}
function
myfunc2() {
    return
'thingy' or die('otherthingy');
}
function
myfunc3() {
    return(
'thingy') or die('otherthingy');
}
function
myfunc4() {
    return
'thingy' or 'otherthingy';
}
function
myfunc5() {
   
$x = 'thingy' or 'otherthingy'; return $x;
}
echo
myfunc1(). "\n". myfunc2(). "\n". myfunc3(). "\n". myfunc4(). "\n". myfunc5(). "\n";
?>

Only myfunc5() returns 'thingy' - the rest return 1.
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9
nick at itomic.com
20 years ago
Functions which return references, may return a NULL value. This is inconsistent with the fact that function parameters passed by reference can't be passed as NULL (or in fact anything which isnt a variable).

i.e.

<?php

function &testRet()
{
    return
NULL;
}

if (
testRet() === NULL)
{
    echo
"NULL";
}
?>

parses fine and echoes NULL
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3
Berniev
5 years ago
Be careful when introducing return types to your code.

Only one return type can be specified (but prefacing with ? allows null).

Return values of a type different to that specified are silently converted with sometimes perplexing results. These can be tedious to find and will need rewriting, along with calling code.

Declare strict types using "declare(strict_types=1);" and an error will be generated, saving much head-scratching.
up
3
zored dot box at gmail dot com
6 years ago
You may specify child return type if there is no parent:

<?php

class A {
    public function
f ($a)
    {
        return
1;
    }
}

class
B extends A {
    public function
f ($a): int // + return type, OK
   
{
        return
1;
    }
}

class
C extends A {
    public function
f (int $a) // + argument type, WARNING
   
{
        return
1;
    }
}
?>
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5
k-gun !! mail
7 years ago
With 7.1, these are possible yet;

<?php
function ret_void(): void {
   
// do something but no return any value
    // if needs to break fn exec for any reason simply write return;
   
if (...) {
        return;
// break
        // return null; // even this NO!
   
}

   
$db->doSomething();
   
// no need return call anymore
}

function
ret_nullable() ?int {
    if (...) {
        return
123;
    } else {
        return
null; // MUST!
   
}
}
?>
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2
ryan dot jentzsch at gmail dot com
8 years ago
PHP 7 return types if specified can not return a null.
For example:
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);

function
add2ints(int $x, int $y):int
{
   
$z = $x + $y;
    if (
$z===0)
    {
        return
null;
    }
    return
$z;
}
$a = add2ints(3, 4);
echo
is_null($a) ? 'Null' : $a;
$b = add2ints(-2, 2);
echo
is_null($b) ? 'Null' : $b;
exit();

Output:
7
Process finished with
exit code 139
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-3
php(@)genjo(DOT)fr
4 years ago
Declaring a collection of objects as return type is not implemented and forbidden:
<?php
class Child{}

function
getChilds(): Child[]
{
    return [(new
Child()), (new Child())];
}

var_dump(getChilds());
// Returns:  Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '[', expecting '{'
?>

We have to use:
<?php
class Child{}

function
getChilds(): array
{
    return [(new
Child()), (new Child())];
}

var_dump(getChilds());
// Returns:
/*
array (size=2)
  0 =>
    object(Child)[168]
  1 =>
    object(Child)[398]
*/
?>

Idem for function parameter:
<?php
function setChilds(Child[] $childs){}
// Not allowed

function setChilds(array $childs){}
// Allowed
?>
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-4
Vidmantas Maskoliunas
7 years ago
Note: the function does not have "alternative syntax" as if/endif, while/endwhile, and colon (:) here is used to define returning type and not to mark where the block statement begins.
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