Return all nodes when invoking node_load_multiple()

[argiepiano]

Description of the bug

Currently invoking node_load_multiple(); with no arguments returns an empty array. On the other hand, invoking entity_load_multiple('node'); (which is a parallel function) correctly returns all nodes as expected.

In order to get all nodes, you must invoke node_load_multiple(FALSE);.

I don't know if this is "working as designed". In my view, it would make sense for node_load_multiple() without arguments to function the same way as entity_load_multiple('node');. Plus using node_load_multiple(FALSE) to return all nodes seems somewhat contrived.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Invoke node_load_multiple(); in a custom module or inside Devel's dpm() and output the result.

Actual behavior

The invocation returns an empty array.

Expected behavior

The invocation should return an array of all nodes in the system.

Additional information

A possible solution is to make the optional $ids parameter in node_load_multiple default to FALSE rather than to array(), which matches entity_load_multiple(). I can provide a PR.

Add any other information that could help, such as:

• Backdrop CMS version: 1.20.3
• Web server and its version: Apache 2.4.48
• Operating System and its version: Mac OS 10.13
• Browser(s) and their versions: Chrome

[argiepiano]

PR backdrop/backdrop#3899

If this looks like the right approach to fix this, I can also create issues and PRs for the xxx_load_multiple of all other 4 core entities.

[argiepiano]

As a "bonus" fix we could possibly call entity_load_multiple instead of entity_load inside node_load_multiple. This would not affect functionality, but it would make more sense.

[ghost]

I believe this'd be an API change and would therefore need to wait for v2.0...

[bugfolder]

It's a little weird that $nids is listed as optional, and then passing the default value of an empty array returns an empty array. Why would anyone ever make a call and use the default argument?

In any event, in the current version it would be nice to have the magic value of FALSE and its result documented for node_load_multiple(), as it is for entity_load_multiple().

[argiepiano]

I believe this'd be an API change and would therefore need to wait for v2.0...

Hmm... I don't quite see it as an API change, but rather as a bug.

Could we at least document (in the PHP docs above the function) the unusual approach needed to get all nodes with node_load_multiple? It took me the best of one hour to figure out why node_load_multiple() did not load anything while entity_load_multiple('node') worked as expected and loaded all nodes. The need to use node_load_multiple(FALSE) to get all nodes is just not very intuitive, nor is it documented anywhere.

[kiamlaluno]

node_load_multiple(FALSE) returns all the nodes in the same way entity_load('node', FALSE) and entity_load_multiple('node', FALSE) do. I agree it's not an expected behavior, to use FALSE instead of an array to get all the nodes. If this is going to be changed, it should be changed in three functions.

[ghost]

I don't quite see it as an API change, but rather as a bug.

Sure. But to fix the bug you need to change the API, hence the API change.

@argiepiano If you'd like this issue to be used to update the documentation for now, please create a separate issue for fixing this in 2.x. Otherwise open a new issue for updating the documentation and we can leave this issue for the 2.x fix.