PHP seems to be evaluating an if statement backwards [duplicate]

Because || has higher precedence than = Your expression really looks like this

if (     $x = (         function($y) || ( $z == 50 )     ) )

Instead of (what I think was your intention)

if (     ($x = function($y)) || ($z == 50) )

php operator-precedence

|| has higher precedence than =, which means your expression becomes:

$x = (foo($y) || ($z == 50));

This means that $x will always be either true or false. Nothing else.

Try:

if( ($x = foo($y)) || ($z == 50))

Or, more readable:

$x = foo($y);if( $x || $z == 50)

CodeHunter