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Error Identifier: return.never

Every error reported by PHPStan has an error identifier. Here’s a list of all error identifiers. In PHPStan Pro you can see the error identifier next to each error and filter errors by their identifiers.

Code example #

<?php declare(strict_types = 1);

function terminate(): never
{
	return;
}

Why is it reported? #

The function or method has a never return type, which means it must not return at all. A function declared as never is expected to always throw an exception, call exit()/die(), or enter an infinite loop. Having a return statement in such a function contradicts the never return type declaration.

How to fix it #

Either remove the return statement and ensure the function never returns:

 <?php declare(strict_types = 1);
 
 function terminate(): never
 {
-	return;
+	exit(1);
 }

Or change the return type if the function is meant to return:

 <?php declare(strict_types = 1);
 
-function terminate(): never
+function terminate(): void
 {
 	return;
 }

How to ignore this error #

You can use the identifier return.never to ignore this error using a comment:

// @phpstan-ignore return.never
codeThatProducesTheError();

You can also use only the identifier key to ignore all errors of the same type in your configuration file in the ignoreErrors parameter:

parameters:
	ignoreErrors:
		-
			identifier: return.never

Rules that report this error #

• PHPStan\Rules\Functions\ArrowFunctionReturnTypeRule [1]
• PHPStan\Rules\Functions\ClosureReturnTypeRule [1]
• PHPStan\Rules\Functions\ReturnTypeRule [1]
• PHPStan\Rules\Methods\ReturnTypeRule [1]
• PHPStan\Rules\Missing\MissingReturnRule [1]

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