From 97069e5d5ba6c17a309c0814c387b1e722756400 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Alessio Giacobbe <giacobbealessio@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:53:20 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] fix(parser): parenthesize unary minus operand to avoid C++
 pre-decrement

parseUnaryMinus emitted '-' . $code without guarding against an operand
that itself starts with '-', pasting into the C++ pre-decrement token:
`- -$x` compiled to `--x`. On a php::Var operand the generated
translation unit fails to build ("expression is not assignable"); on a
native int operand it builds and silently decrements: a function
`(int $x) => - -$x` returned 8 for input 9.

Parenthesize the operand exactly when its emitted code starts with '-'
(a nested unary minus or a negative literal), so plain literals keep
their compact form (`-7L`). Binary operands are already self-wrapped in
parentheses, and unary plus needs no change since it returns the
operand unchanged.
---
 src/Parser/UnaryExpressionTrait.php           |  8 +++++
 .../compiler/operator/unary-minus-nested.phpt | 35 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 43 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 tests/compiler/operator/unary-minus-nested.phpt

diff --git a/src/Parser/UnaryExpressionTrait.php b/src/Parser/UnaryExpressionTrait.php
index e273551d..c4a92e6a 100644
--- a/src/Parser/UnaryExpressionTrait.php
+++ b/src/Parser/UnaryExpressionTrait.php
@@ -125,6 +125,14 @@ trait UnaryExpressionTrait
         }
         $code = $this->parseExprAsValue($expr->expr);
 
+        // An operand that already starts with `-` (a nested unary minus, a
+        // negative literal) would paste into the C++ pre-decrement token:
+        // `- -$a` -> `--a`. Parenthesize exactly then, so plain literals
+        // keep their compact `-7L` form.
+        if (str_starts_with($code, '-')) {
+            return '-(' . $code . ')';
+        }
+
         return '-' . $code;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/compiler/operator/unary-minus-nested.phpt b/tests/compiler/operator/unary-minus-nested.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b9f988ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compiler/operator/unary-minus-nested.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+--TEST--
+Nested unary minus must not emit the C++ pre-decrement token
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+function negNative(int $x): int
+{
+    return - -$x;
+}
+
+function main(): void
+{
+    $a = 5;
+    $b = - -$a;
+    echo $b, "\n";
+    echo $a, "\n";
+
+    $c = -(-7);
+    echo $c, "\n";
+
+    $f = 1.5;
+    $g = - -$f;
+    echo $g, "\n";
+
+    echo negNative(9), "\n";
+    echo - -(-3), "\n";
+}
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+5
+5
+7
+1.5
+9
+-3