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Error Identifier: return.void

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 doFoo(): void
{
	return 'hello';
}

Why is it reported? #

A function or method with a void return type declaration attempts to return a value. In PHP, functions declared with void must not return any value. A bare return; statement is allowed, but return $value; is not.

This is a violation of PHP’s type system and will cause a fatal error at runtime in strict mode.

How to fix it #

Either remove the returned value:

 function doFoo(): void
 {
-	return 'hello';
+	// perform side effects only
 }

Or change the return type to match the returned value:

-function doFoo(): void
+function doFoo(): string
 {
 	return 'hello';
 }

How to ignore this error #

You can use the identifier return.void to ignore this error using a comment:

// @phpstan-ignore return.void
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.void

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]

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