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Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2020 09:17:12 -0500
To: internals@lists.php.net
Subject: Proposal: A way for classes to define a response to any primitive
 type cast
From: josh@joshbruce.dev (Josh Bruce)

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Apologies, first time, still learning and have no historical context - =
timing is what it is.

Proposal type: Concept

Implementer: Unknown, fallback to me after slow learning

Presumed simple implementation as the pattern should already be in =
place:

Cast of (string) -> __toString() - already implemented

Cast of (bool) -> __toBool()

Cast of (int) -> __toInt()

Cast of (object) -> __toObject()

=E2=80=A6and so on.

Alternative implementation using an interface:

\CastableTo{type}

Extreme implementation:

Make both of the previous available.

Known unknowns:

- Level of interest in something like this in the PHP community outside =
of one upvote on a Stackoverflow question I submitted: =
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62747837/php-7-tostring-or-other-inter=
face-for-boolean-values =
<https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62747837/php-7-tostring-or-other-inte=
rface-for-boolean-values>
- Whether this conversation or proposal has already occurred.
- The historical conversation leading to the creation of the =
__toString() method (and stopping there).
- The current conversation around using magic methods in general and =
specifically when defining a cast response.
- Enough details on PHP internal development to implement myself (this =
is the first time in 20 years I felt I couldn=E2=80=99t comfortably =
accomplish what I wanted to, thanks for that).
- What potential collisions could occur if someone (me) wanted to =
implement all possibilities in a single class.
- Right now __toBool() would be of the most personal benefit - if =
proposal is converted to an RFC, would it be better (faster/smoother) to =
do one RFC for all the cast possibilities - or to have an RFC for each =
cast separately?

Thank you for the consideration, information, and feedback.

Cheers,
Josh

ps. Also, apologies again for walking into a new space on a mission, not =
my normal approach.

pps. The primary project inspiring the proposal: =
https://github.com/8fold/php-shoop <https://github.com/8fold/php-shoop>



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