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Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2018 14:00:42 +0200
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To: nikita.ppv@gmail.com
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Optional typehint check for parameters
From: mitke013@gmail.com (Zeljko Mitic)

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On Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 1:44 PM Zeljko Mitic <mitke013@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 1:14 PM Nikita Popov <nikita.ppv@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Jul 15, 2018 at 9:39 PM, Zeljko Mitic <mitke013@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> PHP is dynamic language and each typed typehinted parameter has to be
>>> checked every time. I am suggesting new php.ini value "typecheck.enable =
>>> 1" which can be turned off.
>>>
>>> Example:
>>> with default php config, a code like this would check each member of
>>> $users
>>> array:
>>>
>>> function demo(User ...$users) {}
>>>
>>> but with "typecheck.enable = 0", same code would be treated like it was
>>> written this way:
>>>
>>> function demo(...$users) {}
>>>
>>> Basically, php would simply *ignore* typehints and work like they are not
>>> there.
>>>
>>> It would be programmers responsibility to send correct values but people
>>> using typehints are not those still learning the basics.
>>>
>>> Just like it is programmers responsibility to restart php-fpm when using
>>> opcache.validate=0, it would be theirs responsibility to send correct
>>> values. Any decent IDE would mark errors for wrong parameter type and
>>> with
>>> tools like phpstan, it is almost impossible to make one. Only development
>>> computers would need to have this checks turned on.
>>>
>>> This creates no BC problems as it is a new feature. Given that typechecks
>>> can be turned off, all existing programs would benefit from extra speed.
>>>
>>> I am sending this mail by following rules from
>>> https://wiki.php.net/rfc/howto . I don't have any knowledge of php
>>> internals so unfortunatelly, I can't help with this. I at least hope
>>> someone will take this RFC into consideration.
>>>
>>
>> Independently of the question of whether we want to do this at all or
>> not, there is a technical difficulty here: While most type checks are just
>> that, scalar type checks (in particular in coercive mode) may perform type
>> conversions. You pass "42" to a parameter accepting int and the parameter
>> will become 42.
>>
>> Just disabling type checks completely would mean that the function now
>> receives "42", which actively violates the type contract (even though the
>> code was completely error free with enabled type checks).
>>
>> How do you propose to handle these cases?
>>
>> Nikita
>>
>
> That is good question, I didn't think of that. I think better solution
> would be to only typecheck objects, conversion still happens.
>
> I didn't want to mention the story behind it. I would really like php to
> have generics, or at least typed arrays. I recently read that someone tried
> to implement typed array and got 15% slow-down; I am sorry I can't provide
> link, reddit is just to big place :)
>
> So if speed is major problem of advancing towards generics/typed arrays, I
> think this optional feature would solve it. Programmer would still spot
> problem on dev computers where speed is not relevant.
>
> I hope I explained this correctly, english is not my first language.
>


I am really sorry for messing up my previous message. First, I clicked
"reply" instead of "reply all". When I saw that, I used copy&paste and my
last message appeared as quote.

I  hope you can read it, this will (hopefully) not happen again.

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