Fix Return Type Mismatches

Priority: 🟡 P2 - MEDIUM Status: Planning Related Analysis: phpstan-rector-analysis-overview.md

Problem Statement

10 PHPStan errors for return type mismatches - where declared return type doesn't match actual returned value.

Impact

• Bug Risk: Medium - could indicate logic errors
• Type Safety: Functions returning unexpected types
• May Hide Bugs: Mismatches often reveal hidden issues

PHPStan Error Category

• Error ID: return.type
• Count: 10
• Priority: Medium - could reveal bugs

Investigation Required

Each mismatch needs investigation:

1. Is the return type wrong?
2. Is the implementation wrong?
3. Is there a logic bug?
4. Is PHPStan inference incorrect?

Implementation Plan

Step 1: Get Complete List

make phpstan 2>&1 | grep "return.type" > /tmp/return-mismatches.txt

Step 2: Categorize Issues

For each mismatch:

• Declared return type
• Actual return type
• Location of return statement
• Context

Step 3: Fix Strategies

Strategy A: Fix Return Type

// Before
public function getId(): string
{
    return $this->id; // returns int
}

// After
public function getId(): int
{
    return $this->id;
}

Strategy B: Fix Implementation

// Before
public function getName(): string
{
    return null; // wrong!
}

// After
public function getName(): string
{
    return $this->name ?? '';
}

Strategy C: Make Nullable

// Before
public function getOptional(): string
{
    return $this->optional; // can be null
}

// After
public function getOptional(): ?string
{
    return $this->optional;
}

Success Criteria

• All return type mismatches resolved
• No logic bugs introduced
• Return types accurately reflect behavior

Risk Assessment

Medium Risk:

• May reveal actual bugs
• Changing return types can affect callers
• May require nullable types

Mitigation:

• Analyze all call sites
• Add tests for edge cases
• Review carefully

Estimated Effort

Per Mismatch:

• Investigation: 15-30 min
• Fix: 15-30 min
• Testing: 15-30 min
• Average: 1 hour per mismatch

Total for 10 mismatches:

• Estimate: 8-12 hours

Notes

Needs complete list to be specific. May reveal interesting bugs!