Fix PHP 8.4 implicit nullable parameter deprecation (CMS-2804)

[fabianwgl]

User description

Summary

Fixes a PHP 8.4 deprecation warning reported by a customer on the WordPress.org support forum.

• Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait::validate_required_array_class_constant() declared its second parameter as array $allowed_item_values = null, an implicitly nullable type.
• PHP 8.4 deprecates implicit nullable parameter types (PHP RFC: Deprecate implicitly nullable parameter types).
• Changed to ?array $allowed_item_values = null (explicit nullable type). No behavior change.

Checked the rest of src/ for the same pattern, this was the only occurrence.

Jira: CMS-2804

Test plan

• Run the plugin's PHPUnit suite
• Confirm no PHP 8.4 deprecation notice is emitted on a site running PHP 8.4

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CodeAnt-AI Description

Prevent PHP 8.4 deprecation warnings for nullable array validation

What Changed

• Explicitly allows the optional array of permitted values to be omitted or set to null
• Removes the PHP 8.4 deprecation caused by the previous parameter declaration without changing validation behavior

Impact

✅ No PHP 8.4 nullable-parameter deprecation warnings
✅ Cleaner logs for supported PHP 8.4 sites

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🤖 CodeAnt AI — Review Status

Status	Commit	Started (UTC)	Finished (UTC)
✅ Reviewed your PR	69a33bf	Sep 08, 2026 · 09:01	09:03

[codeant-ai]

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[qodo-code-review]

PR Summary by Qodo

Fix PHP 8.4 nullable parameter deprecation

🐞 Bug fix 🕐 Less than 5 minutes

AI Description

• Declares the optional allowed-values array as explicitly nullable.
• Prevents PHP 8.4 deprecation warnings without changing validation behavior.

High-Level Assessment

The explicit nullable array type is the optimal approach: it preserves the existing contract and default value while directly resolving PHP 8.4's implicit-nullability deprecation. Removing the type or changing the default would weaken typing or alter behavior.

Files changed (1) +1 / -1

Bug fix (1) +1 / -1

Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.phpDeclare allowed values parameter as explicitly nullable +1/-1

Declare allowed values parameter as explicitly nullable

• Changes 'array $allowed_item_values = null' to '?array $allowed_item_values = null'. This removes the PHP 8.4 deprecation warning while preserving existing validation behavior and compatibility.

src/lib/traits/Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.php

[qodo-code-review]

Code Review by Qodo

🐞 Bugs (0) 📘 Rule violations (0) 📜 Skill insights (0)

1. PHP 5.6 and 7.0 sites cannot load the plugin ✓ Resolved 🐞 Bug ≡ Correctness

Description

The changed method declaration uses the ?array nullable type syntax, which is not supported by PHP
versions before 7.1. The CI matrix still tests PHP 5.6 and 7.0, so those installations fail during
PHP parsing before the plugin can initialize.

Code

src/lib/traits/Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.php[124]

+	protected function validate_required_array_class_constant( $required_array_constant_name, ?array $allowed_item_values = null ) {

Evidence

The PR changes the method to ?array, while the repository's test workflow still includes PHP 7.0
and PHP 5.6. Those runtimes cannot parse nullable type declarations, causing a fatal syntax error
when the trait file is loaded.

src/lib/traits/Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.php[124-124]
.github/workflows/test.yml[56-65]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The method now uses `?array`, which causes a parse error on the plugin's supported PHP 5.6 and PHP 7.0 runtimes. PHP 8.4 deprecation compatibility must be achieved without introducing syntax unavailable to those versions.

## Issue Context
The repository's CI matrix explicitly runs PHP 5.6 and PHP 7.0. Nullable parameter type declarations require PHP 7.1 or newer.

## Fix Focus Areas
- src/lib/traits/Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.php[124-124]
- src/lib/traits/Class_Constant_Override_Validator_Trait.php[112-115]
- .github/workflows/test.yml[56-65]

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Context sources

Review mode: 🚀 Fast: A single localized type-annotation change addresses a PHP 8.4 deprecation without altering intended behavior or touching a high-risk area.

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[sonarqubecloud]

Quality Gate passed

Issues
0 New issues
0 Accepted issues

Measures
0 Security Hotspots
0.0% Coverage on New Code
0.0% Duplication on New Code

See analysis details on SonarQube Cloud

[apinto-uc]

Looks good to me!