1.2.882. Only Variable Returned By Reference

Function can’t return literals by reference.

When a function returns a reference, it is only possible to return variables, properties or static properties.

Anything else, like literals or static expressions, yield a warning at execution time.

<?php

// Can't return a literal number
function &foo() {
    return 3 + rand();
}

// bar must return values that are stored in a
function &bar() {
    $a = 3 + rand();
    return $a;
}

?>

1.2.882.1. Specs

Short name	Structures/OnlyVariableReturnedByReference
Rulesets	All, Analyze
Exakat since	0.8.4
PHP Version	All
Severity	Major
Time To Fix	Quick (30 mins)
Precision	Very high
Features	reference
Available in	Entreprise Edition, Exakat Cloud