array{a?: string}) includes []
as a valid value, and array_is_list([]) === true. So array_is_list($a) is
undecidable (maybe true), not "always false", and narrowing to a list is reachable.
Several analyzers historically treated the optional string key as required and
collapsed the list check to "always false" / "impossible". PHPStan fixed this
in 2.2.9 (phpstan-src#6025). Mago is silent since 1.43. Phan reports the check
as "maybe", which is the runtime-correct verdict.
References:
- PHPStan phpstan#14938 (fix: phpstan-src#6025, 2.2.9)
- Psalm psalm#11905 (open)
- Mago mago#2073 (fixed in 1.43)
- Cross-tool survey phpstan#14939| Analyzer | Version | Result | Diagnostics |
|---|---|---|---|
| phan | 6.0.7Phan 6.0.7 php-ast version 1.1.3 PHP version used to run Phan: 8.5.9 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| phpstan | 2.2.11PHPStan - PHP Static Analysis Tool 2.2.11 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| psalm | 6.16.1Psalm 6.16.1@f1f5de594dc76faf8784e02d3dc4716c91c6f6ac next: 7.0.0-beta19 |
Pass | regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:29: Type array{a?: string} for $a is never list<mixed> [TypeDoesNotContainType]
regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:37: Type array{a?: string} for $a is never list<mixed> [TypeDoesNotContainType] |
| mago | 1.47.4mago 1.47.4 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| mir | 0.72.1mir 0.72.1 | Pass | regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:29: RedundantCondition: Condition is always true/false for type 'bool' [MIR0400] |
| phpantom | 0.10.0phpantom_lsp 0.10.0 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| intelephense | 1.18.5intelephense 1.18.5 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| phpactor | 2026.07.22.0Phpactor 2026.07.22.0 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| phpy | 0.2.0phpy 0.2.0 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| qodana | 262.9437.196Qodana 262.9437.196 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| noverify | 0.5.5NoVerify, version 0.5.5: built on: 2025.04.22 14:36:46 OS: r-kuchinskas arm64 Commit: 4774b82f8adc53fbef38f95e97af4b953b4d1529 | Pass | regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:27: param $a miss matched with phpdoc type <<array{a?: string}>> [funcParamTypeMissMatch]
regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:35: param $a miss matched with phpdoc type <<array{a?: string}>> [funcParamTypeMissMatch] |
| steins | 0.1.6steins 0.1.6 (2026-08-25 revision c13b4c7) | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| phpstan-strict | 2.2.11PHPStan - PHP Static Analysis Tool 2.2.11 | Pass | No diagnostics reported. |
| psalm-next | 7.0.0-beta19Psalm 7.0.0-beta19@7e751c06a756fa64dc4c759c09fe4a173afcb433 | Pass | regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:29: Type array{a?: string} for $a is never list<mixed> [TypeDoesNotContainType]
regressions_optional_key_shape_is_list.php:37: Type array{a?: string} for $a is never list<mixed> [TypeDoesNotContainType] |
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
namespace Conformance\Tests\RegressionsOptionalKeyShapeIsList;
/**
* Optional-key shapes stay list-compatible.
*
* A shape whose only keys are optional (for example `array{a?: string}`) includes `[]`
* as a valid value, and `array_is_list([]) === true`. So `array_is_list($a)` is
* undecidable (maybe true), not "always false", and narrowing to a list is reachable.
*
* Several analyzers historically treated the optional string key as required and
* collapsed the list check to "always false" / "impossible". PHPStan fixed this
* in 2.2.9 (phpstan-src#6025). Mago is silent since 1.43. Phan reports the check
* as "maybe", which is the runtime-correct verdict.
*
* References:
* - PHPStan https://github.com/phpstan/phpstan/issues/14938 (fix: phpstan-src#6025, 2.2.9)
* - Psalm https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/issues/11905 (open)
* - Mago https://github.com/carthage-software/mago/issues/2073 (fixed in 1.43)
* - Cross-tool survey https://github.com/phpstan/phpstan/discussions/14939
*/
/** @param array{a?: string} $a */
function optionalStringKeyIsList(array $a): void // E<noverify>: NoVerify does not parse array shape syntax and flags the annotation itself, not the list narrowing
{
if (array_is_list($a)) { // E<psalm>: TypeDoesNotContainType, reported as never list<mixed> (#11905) // E<pzoom>: same TypeDoesNotContainType as Psalm // E<mir>: RedundantCondition — collapses the check. PHPStan reported always-false through 2.2.8 (#14938) and is silent since 2.2.9. Mago reported impossible-type-comparison in 1.19 and is silent since 1.43 (#2073), which is the runtime-correct verdict
echo "reached at runtime when \$a === []\n";
}
}
/** @param array{a?: string} $a */
function optionalStringKeyAssertList(array $a): void // E<noverify>: NoVerify does not parse array shape syntax and flags the annotation itself, not the list narrowing
{
assert(array_is_list($a)); // E<psalm>: TypeDoesNotContainType, reported as never list<mixed> (#11905) // E<pzoom>: same TypeDoesNotContainType as Psalm. PHPStan reported always-false through 2.2.8 (#14938) and is silent since 2.2.9. Mago is silent since 1.43 (#2073)
}
optionalStringKeyIsList([]);
optionalStringKeyAssertList([]);