php / php/php-src

mbstring: Do functions marked “TODO Return void” require an RFC to change return type?

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Description

Hi,

In ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c, I noticed several places with comments like:

// TODO Return void
RETURN_TRUE;

ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c:1567

This suggests the intent is to change these functions to return void instead of bool.

Before preparing a patch, I wanted to confirm the process:

Would changing these functions from returning true to void (i.e., RETURN_NULL() in C and updating stubs to: void) require an RFC?
Or is this considered a minor/internal API cleanup that can go directly as a PR?

I’m aware that this could have a userland impact if the return value is currently used, so I wanted to check what the preferred approach is.

Happy to prepare a PR once the direction is clarified.

Thanks!

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
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Research direction

Start at ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c:1567 and review the surrounding TODO comments and the related function stubs mentioned in the issue. Determine whether changing the return type affects the userland API and requires an RFC; the issue is done when the project process and scope are confirmed before preparing a patch.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c, php
Domain
api
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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