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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2019 22:49:00 -0500
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Subject: [Proposal] Struct Data Types
From: xellisx@gmail.com (Kenneth Ellis McCall)
Message-ID: <php.internals-104730@news.php.net>

Hey all,

I'm looking to get feedback on a RFC I want to propose.

PHP RFC: Addition of the 'struct' data type.

Introduction:
PHP has many data types, but does not offer something that is the 
equivalent to the C struct data type.

The purpose of this RFC is to propose a data type of 'struct', which 
would be a strictly typed, immutable data structure that resembles a mix 
of a class and an array.

Pros:
Provides a data type which would immutable and self-validating by 
mandatory type hinting.

Cons:
?

Possible future considerations:
Advanced Type Validators.

Use cases:
Configurations, DTOs, anything that needs a strict schema.

Proposed usage / syntax:
struct MyStuct
{
     boolean|bool              'prop01';
     integer|int               'prop02';
     double                    'prop03';
     string                    'prop04';
     array                     'prop05';
     object                    'prop06';
     resource                  'prop07';
     callable                  'prop08';
     iterable                  'prop09';
     Acme\MyClass              'prop10';
     Acme\ConfStruct           'prop11';
     array Acme\AnotherStruct  'prop12';
     ?boolean|bool             'prop13';
     ?integer|int              'prop14';
     ?double                   'prop15';
     ?string                   'prop16';
     ?array                    'prop17';
     ?object                   'prop18';
     ?resource                 'prop19';
     ?callable                 'prop20';
     ?iterable                 'prop21';
     ?Acme\MyClass             'prop22';
     ?Acme\ConfStruct          'prop23';
     ?array Acme\AnotherStruct 'prop24';
}
OR?

struct MyStuct
{
     'prop01': boolean|bool;
     'prop02': integer|int;
     'prop03': float;
     'prop04': string;
     'prop05': array;
     'prop06': object;
     'prop07': resource;
     'prop08': callable;
     'prop09': iterable;
     'prop10': Acme\MyClass;
     'prop11': Acme\ConfStruct;
     'prop12': array Acme\AnotherStruct;
     'prop13': ?boolean|bool;
     'prop14': ?integer|int;
     'prop15': ?float;
     'prop16': ?string;
     'prop17': ?array;
     'prop18': ?object;
     'prop19': ?resource;
     'prop20': ?callable;
     'prop21': ?iterable;
     'prop22': ?Acme\MyClass;
     'prop23': ?Acme\ConfStruct;
     'prop24': ?array Acme\AnotherStruct;
}

struct Acme\ConfStruct
{
     string 'host';
     ?int 'port';
}

struct Acme\AnotherStruct
{
     string 'firstName';
     string 'lastName';
     ?integer 'age';
}

Acme\ConfStruct $a = {
     'host' => '127.0.0.1',
     'port' => 8088
}

Acme\MyStruct $myStruct = {
     'prop01' => true,
     'prop02' => 1,
     'prop03' => 1.01,
     'prop04' => 'Hello',
     'prop05' => ['a', 'b', 'c'],
     'prop06' => new stdClass(),
     'prop07' => fopen('xyz.txt', 'wb'),
     'prop08' => function() {
                 return 1 + 1;
               },
     'prop09' => [
         [1, 2, 3],
         [4, 5, 6],
         [7, 8, 9]
     ],
     'prop10' => new Acme\MyClass,
     'prop11' => $a,
     'prop12' => [
         Acme\AnotherStruct [
             'firstName' => 'Bob',
             'lastName'  => 'Walker'
         ],
         Acme\AnotherStruct [
             'firstName' => 'Little',
             'lastName'  => 'Johnny',
             'age'       => 5
         ],
     ],
     'prop13' => null,
     'prop14' => null,
     'prop15' => null,
     'prop16' => null,
     'prop17' => null,
     'prop18' => null,
     'prop19' => null,
     'prop20' => null,
     'prop21' => null,
     'prop22' => null,
     'prop23' => null,
     'prop24' => null
};

$x = new Some\Other\Class($myStruct);

echo $myStruct['prop02'];
OR?

echo $myStruct->prop02;
Warning / Errors / Exceptions:
Acme\MyStruct $a = {
     'prop01' => 5,
     ...
}
// Should: throw new TypeError("'prop01' should be set as a boolean 
type, integer type was attempted.")

echo $a['xyz']; // or echo $a->xyz (which ever is the preferred syntax 
after comments).
// Should: trigger_error("<b>Notice</b>: Undefined property: 
Acme\MyStruct::xyz");


https://github.com/ellisgl/PHP-RFC-Struct-Data-Type