On the usage of "@" (error control operator)

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I wrote this sentence:

@$retVal = $this->lastfetch[$ndx];

Yesterday, browsing the manual, I found this paragraph:

"PHP supports one error control operator: the at sign (@). _When prepended
to an expression_ in PHP, any error messages that might be generated by that
expression will be ignored."

and, a few lines further:

"A simple rule of thumb is: if you can take the value of something, you can
prepend the @ operator to it."

Since an assigment is not an expression, the required syntax should be:

$retVal = @$this->lastfetch[$ndx];

But both forms work.


Is there any reason to prefer one above the other?

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