strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string2) of type string is deprecated

I debugged this further and the error appears to be caused by the strict 'string' argument to `strnatcasecmp`.

Drupal is passing in strings or `Drupal\Core\StringTranslation\TranslatableMarkup` objects... which used to work when typecast to string.

Setting this to needs review. The risk of an empty label is gone, and the bug is clearer, imo.

Actually, I think I might have solved a different issue. More thinking required.

width #16 i have this error:
Error: Object of class Drupal\system\Entity\Menu could not be converted to string in Drupal\Core\Block\BlockManager->Drupal\Core\Plugin\{closure}() (linea 99 di ..../core/lib/Drupal/Core/Plugin/CategorizingPluginManagerTrait.php).

Hello balbogbf ref #19
Regarding your error, I had the same error and it was due to the project drupal/we_megamenu
If this is also your issue, there is patch to fix this:

we_megamenu blocks using "\Drupal\system\Entity\Menu" object as admin label
https://www.drupal.org/project/we_megamenu/issues/3357546 🐛 we_megamenu blocks using "\Drupal\system\Entity\Menu" object as admin label Fixed

I found another similar error and I have it fixed in this updated patch... this patch applies to both 10.2.x and 11.x

We have test coverage of editing a layout in core and this error does not occur. This is pointing to an issue somewhere in contrib or custom code. Somewhere where a label is expected there is none.

Sounds like we need additional test coverage.

I recently updated to 10.2 and am now getting the following on any Entity Manage form display pages.

Deprecated function: strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string2) of type string is deprecated in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}() (line 204 of core/lib/Drupal/Core/Layout/LayoutPluginManager.php).

Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}(Object, Object)
uasort(Array, Object) (Line: 207)
Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->getSortedDefinitions(Array, 'label') (Line: 217)
Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->getGroupedDefinitions() (Line: 230)
Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->getLayoutOptions() (Line: 64)
Drupal\field_layout\Form\FieldLayoutEntityFormDisplayEditForm->form(Array, Object) (Line: 107)
Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityForm->buildForm(Array, Object)
call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 536)
Drupal\Core\Form\FormBuilder->retrieveForm('entity_form_display_edit_form', Object) (Line: 283)
Drupal\Core\Form\FormBuilder->buildForm(Object, Object) (Line: 73)
Drupal\Core\Controller\FormController->getContentResult(Object, Object) (Line: 39)
Drupal\layout_builder\Controller\LayoutBuilderHtmlEntityFormController->getContentResult(Object, Object)
call_user_func_array(Array, Array) (Line: 123)
Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\{closure}() (Line: 627)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object, Object) (Line: 124)
Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->wrapControllerExecutionInRenderContext(Array, Array) (Line: 97)
Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\{closure}() (Line: 181)
Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object, 1) (Line: 76)
Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 58)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 106)
Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->pass(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 85)
Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 50)
Drupal\ban\BanMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 48)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 36)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 51)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object, 1, 1) (Line: 704)
Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object) (Line: 19)

Deprecated function: strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string2) of type string is deprecated in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}() (line 204 of core/lib/Drupal/Core/Layout/LayoutPluginManager.php).
Deprecated function: strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string2) of type string is deprecated in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}() (line 204 of core/lib/Drupal/Core/Layout/LayoutPluginManager.php).
Deprecated function: strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string2) of type string is deprecated in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}() (line 204 of core/lib/Drupal/Core/Layout/LayoutPluginManager.php).
Deprecated function: strnatcasecmp(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string1) of type string is deprecated in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{closure}() (line 204 of core/lib/Drupal/Core/Layout/LayoutPluginManager.php).

I have searched for a solution. I can confirm the patch from #25 worked for me.

I see the same message as in #27, but the patch in #25 did not solve it for me.

Here is a full list of occurrences of the function with file name, line number and in which function. I can gladly look into it and provide a patch, but we I would need guidance on whether we do a typecasting like in #16 or a check if NULL as in #25?

\core\lib\Drupal\Component\Utility\SortArray.php"(105,12): return strnatcasecmp($a_title, $b_title);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigEntityBase.php"(237,14): return strnatcasecmp($a_label, $b_label);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Datetime\Entity\DateFormat.php"(91,14): return strnatcasecmp($a_label, $b_label);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityDisplayModeBase.php"(72,19): $type_order = strnatcasecmp($a_type, $b_type);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Language\Language.php"(161,16): return strnatcasecmp($a_name, $b_name);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager.php"(204,16): return strnatcasecmp($a->getCategory() ?? '', $b->getCategory() ?? '');
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager.php"(206,14): return strnatcasecmp($a->getLabel() ?? '', $b->getLabel() ?? '');
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Plugin\CategorizingPluginManagerTrait.php"(95,16): return strnatcasecmp($a['category'], $b['category']);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Plugin\CategorizingPluginManagerTrait.php"(97,14): return strnatcasecmp($a[$label_key], $b[$label_key]);
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultLazyPluginCollection.php"(100,12): return strnatcasecmp($a->getPluginId(), $b->getPluginId());
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Test\TestDiscovery.php"(190,20): uksort($list, 'strnatcasecmp');
\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Test\TestDiscovery.php"(192,23): uksort($tests, 'strnatcasecmp');
\core\modules\config\src\Form\ConfigSingleExportForm.php"(89,28): uasort($entity_types, 'strnatcasecmp');
\core\modules\config\src\Form\ConfigSingleImportForm.php"(262,28): uasort($entity_types, 'strnatcasecmp');
\core\modules\config_translation\src\Controller\ConfigTranslationEntityListBuilder.php"(123,12): return strnatcasecmp($a_value, $b_value);
\core\modules\config_translation\src\Controller\ConfigTranslationMapperList.php"(69,16): return strnatcasecmp($a_title, $b_title);
\core\modules\filter\src\FilterPluginCollection.php"(100,14): return strnatcasecmp($a->provider, $b->provider);
\core\modules\help\src\Plugin\HelpSection\HelpTopicSection.php"(146,16): return strnatcasecmp($a_label, $b_label);
\core\modules\shortcut\src\Entity\Shortcut.php"(186,14): return strnatcasecmp($a->getTitle(), $b->getTitle());
\core\modules\system\src\Entity\Action.php"(178,14): return strnatcasecmp($a_type, $b_type);
\core\modules\views_ui\tests\src\Functional\FilterEntityReferenceWebTest.php"(46,14): return strnatcasecmp($a->getTitle(), $b->getTitle());
\core\modules\workspaces\src\WorkspaceRepository.php"(67,16): return strnatcasecmp($a->label(), $b->label());

Prashant.c → made their first commit to this issue’s fork.

Added the null coalescing operator to occurrences of strnatcasecmp()wherever it was applicable.

I was not able to apply the patches provided in 11.x therefore submitting the patch file as well.
Changes needs to be reviewed.

Thank you.

Still say we need to research why/how this value got null.

Will need test coverage

@smustgrave - can you write the tests?

I am also getting this error in Drupal\Core\Layout\LayoutPluginManager->Drupal\Core\Layout\{
closure}() (line 2

@tawellman, thanks for posting the stack trace in Comment #27. That shows the (core, experimental) field_layout module. When I enable that, I can reproduce the error by visiting /en/admin/structure/types/manage/article/form-display (Umami demo profile) as you suggested.

I have updated the steps to reproduce on that issue, and I am closing this one as a duplicate.