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To: Claude Pache <claude.pache@gmail.com>, Ilija Tovilo <ilija.tovilo@me.com>
Cc: PHP internals <internals@lists.php.net>
References: <AF92547F-5990-4400-918A-37717C594365@me.com>
 <F99E13A5-D1F2-4BBB-86E6-5EE8BA4C897C@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <78250c0f-a22a-6ab9-9b8a-8920624e4802@gmx.de>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 23:38:43 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] semicolon terminator for switch cases
From: cmbecker69@gmx.de ("Christoph M. Becker")

On 26.03.2020 at 23:04, Claude Pache wrote:

>> Le 26 mars 2020 =C3=A0 19:37, Ilija Tovilo <ilija.tovilo@me.com> a =C3=
=A9crit :
>>
>> What's the reasoning behind this? I find it weird an inconsistent.
>
> This is a manifestly a leftover of an old syntax. Take a look at the PHP=
/FI 2 manual:
>
> Language constructs:
> https://www.php.net/manual/phpfi2.php#lang <https://www.php.net/manual/p=
hpfi2.php#lang>
>
>
> ```
>     <?
>       if($a=3D=3D5 &&  $b!=3D0 );
>         $c =3D 100 + $a / $b;
>       endif;
>     >
> ```
>
> and, in particular, switch construct:
> https://www.php.net/manual/phpfi2.php#switch <https://www.php.net/manual=
/phpfi2.php#switch>
>
> ```
>       <?
>           $a=3D0;
>           switch($a) {
>                 case 1;
>                   echo "a is 1";
>                   break;
>                 case "hello";
>                   echo "a is hello";
>                   break;
>                 default;
>                   echo "a is unknown";
>                   break;
>           }
>         >
> ```
>
> Note that every line of code, including `if (...);` and `case...;`, is c=
onsistently terminated by a semicolon.
>
> In a subsequent major version, the syntax was modified, and you would us=
e a colon instead of a semicolon in a number of places, as you can write t=
oday:
>
> ```
>     <?php
>       if ($a=3D=3D5 &&  $b!=3D0):
>         $c =3D 100 + $a / $b;
>       endif;
>     >
> ```
>
> Although the old `if (true);` syntax has been removed (probably because =
of ambiguity or difficulty of parsing), the old `case 1;` syntax could be =
left without issue.

Interesting!  Thanks for digging this out. :)

=2D-
Christoph M. Becker