Error Handling Functions
debug_print_backtrace
Error Handling Functions
PHP Manual

# debug_backtrace

(PHP 4 >= 4.3.0, PHP 5)

debug_backtrace — Generates a backtrace

### Description

array debug_backtrace ([ int `$options` = DEBUG_BACKTRACE_PROVIDE_OBJECT [, int `$limit` = 0 ]] )

debug_backtrace() generates a PHP backtrace.

### Parameters

`options`

  As of 5.3.6, this parameter is a bitmask for the following options:

  debug_backtrace() options
  DEBUG_BACKTRACE_PROVIDE_OBJECT | Whether or not to populate the "object" index.
  DEBUG_BACKTRACE_IGNORE_ARGS | Whether or not to omit the "args" index, and thus all the function/method arguments, to save memory.

  Before 5.3.6, the only values recognized are `TRUE` or `FALSE`, which are the same as setting or not setting the `DEBUG_BACKTRACE_PROVIDE_OBJECT` option respectively.
`limit`

  As of 5.4.0, this parameter can be used to limit the number of stack frames returned. By default (`limit`=0) it returns all stack frames.

### Return Values

Returns an array of associative arrays. The possible returned elements are as follows:

Possible returned elements from debug_backtrace()
Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
function | string | The current function name. See also __FUNCTION__.
line | integer | The current line number. See also __LINE__.
file | string | The current file name. See also __FILE__.
class | string | The current class name. See also __CLASS__
object | object | The current object.
type | string | The current call type. If a method call, "->" is returned. If a static method call, "::" is returned. If a function call, nothing is returned.
args | array | If inside a function, this lists the functions arguments. If inside an included file, this lists the included file name(s).

### Changelog

Version | Description
--- | ---
5.4.0 | Added the optional parameter `limit`.
5.3.6 | The parameter `provide_object` changed to `options` and additional option `DEBUG_BACKTRACE_IGNORE_ARGS` is added.
5.2.5 | Added the optional parameter `provide_object`.
5.1.1 | Added the current object as a possible return element.

### Examples

Example #1 debug_backtrace() example

`<?php
// filename: /tmp/a.php
function a_test($str)
{
echo "\nHi: $str";
var_dump(debug_backtrace());
}
a_test('friend');
?>
<?php
// filename: /tmp/b.php
include_once '/tmp/a.php';
?>`

Results similar to the following when executing /tmp/b.php:

    Hi: friend
    array(2) {
    [0]=>
    array(4) {
        ["file"] => string(10) "/tmp/a.php"
        ["line"] => int(10)
        ["function"] => string(6) "a_test"
        ["args"]=>
        array(1) {
          [0] => &string(6) "friend"
        }
    }
    [1]=>
    array(4) {
        ["file"] => string(10) "/tmp/b.php"
        ["line"] => int(2)
        ["args"] =>
        array(1) {
          [0] => string(10) "/tmp/a.php"
        }
        ["function"] => string(12) "include_once"
      }
    }

### See Also

- trigger_error() - Generates a user-level error/warning/notice message
- debug_print_backtrace() - Prints a backtrace

Error Handling Functions
debug_print_backtrace
Error Handling Functions
PHP Manual