PHP Function Case Sensitivity

In PHP, the question of function case sensitivity arises when examining code that employs the mySQL_fetch_array function. The following article provides a thorough examination of this topic, referencing official documentation and highlighting key aspects.

Function Names and Case Sensitivity

The PHP documentation explicitly states that "Function names are case-insensitive." This indicates that PHP treats function names as case-insensitive, regardless of how they are declared. For example, the function mySQL_fetch_array can be called using any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, such as mysql_fetch_array or MYSQL_FETCH_ARRAY. The code will execute correctly in all cases.

Recommendation for Best Practices

Although PHP allows for case-insensitive function names, it is considered good practice to use the case convention specified in the function declaration. This enhances code readability and consistency, making it easier for other developers to understand and maintain your code.

Historical Context

It is worth noting that there was a proposal to introduce case-sensitivity for function and object names in PHP5. However, this proposal did not gain widespread support and was not implemented. Therefore, function names remain case-insensitive in all current versions of PHP.