WP_Comment_Query::get_comments(): int|int[]|WP_Comment[]

378	public function get_comments() {379		global $wpdb;380 381		$this->parse_query();382 383		// Parse meta query.384		$this->meta_query = new WP_Meta_Query();385		$this->meta_query->parse_query_vars( $this->query_vars );386 387		/**388		 * Fires before comments are retrieved.389		 *390		 * @since 3.1.0391		 *392		 * @param WP_Comment_Query $query Current instance of WP_Comment_Query (passed by reference).393		 */394		do_action_ref_array( 'pre_get_comments', array( &$this ) );395 396		// Reparse query vars, in case they were modified in a 'pre_get_comments' callback.397		$this->meta_query->parse_query_vars( $this->query_vars );398		if ( ! empty( $this->meta_query->queries ) ) {399			$this->meta_query_clauses = $this->meta_query->get_sql( 'comment', $wpdb->comments, 'comment_ID', $this );400		}401 402		$comment_data = null;403 404		/**405		 * Filters the comments data before the query takes place.406		 *407		 * Return a non-null value to bypass WordPress' default comment queries.408		 *409		 * The expected return type from this filter depends on the value passed410		 * in the request query vars:411		 * - When `$this->query_vars['count']` is set, the filter should return412		 *   the comment count as an integer.413		 * - When `'ids' === $this->query_vars['fields']`, the filter should return414		 *   an array of comment IDs.415		 * - Otherwise the filter should return an array of WP_Comment objects.416		 *417		 * Note that if the filter returns an array of comment data, it will be assigned418		 * to the `comments` property of the current WP_Comment_Query instance.419		 *420		 * Filtering functions that require pagination information are encouraged to set421		 * the `found_comments` and `max_num_pages` properties of the WP_Comment_Query object,422		 * passed to the filter by reference. If WP_Comment_Query does not perform a database423		 * query, it will not have enough information to generate these values itself.424		 *425		 * @since 5.3.0426		 * @since 5.6.0 The returned array of comment data is assigned to the `comments` property427		 *              of the current WP_Comment_Query instance.428		 *429		 * @param array|int|null   $comment_data Return an array of comment data to short-circuit WP's comment query,430		 *                                       the comment count as an integer if `$this->query_vars['count']` is set,431		 *                                       or null to allow WP to run its normal queries.432		 * @param WP_Comment_Query $query        The WP_Comment_Query instance, passed by reference.433		 */434		$comment_data = apply_filters_ref_array( 'comments_pre_query', array( $comment_data, &$this ) );435 436		if ( null !== $comment_data ) {437			if ( is_array( $comment_data ) && ! $this->query_vars['count'] ) {438				$this->comments = $comment_data;439			}440 441			return $comment_data;442		}443 444		/*445		 * Only use the args defined in the query_var_defaults to compute the key,446		 * but ignore 'fields', 'update_comment_meta_cache', 'update_comment_post_cache' which does not affect query results.447		 */448		$_args = wp_array_slice_assoc( $this->query_vars, array_keys( $this->query_var_defaults ) );449		unset( $_args['fields'], $_args['update_comment_meta_cache'], $_args['update_comment_post_cache'] );450 451		$key          = md5( serialize( $_args ) );452		$last_changed = wp_cache_get_last_changed( 'comment' );453 454		$cache_key   = "get_comments:$key:$last_changed";455		$cache_value = wp_cache_get( $cache_key, 'comment-queries' );456		if ( false === $cache_value ) {457			$comment_ids = $this->get_comment_ids();