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Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:00:11 -0600
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Cc: "internals@lists.php.net" <internals@lists.php.net>
To: tyson andre <tysonandre775@hotmail.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [VOTE] Dump results of expressions in `php -a`
From: ben@benramsey.com (Ben Ramsey)

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> On Jan 19, 2021, at 18:55, tyson andre <tysonandre775@hotmail.com> =
wrote:
>=20
> Hi internals,
>=20
> Voting has started on =
https://wiki.php.net/rfc/readline_interactive_shell_result_function
> on 2021-01-19, and ends on 2021-02-02.
>=20
> This RFC proposes to dump the results of non-null expressions using =
var_dump/var_export() by default in `php -a` (the interactive shell).
> Additionally, this adds a new function =
`readline_interactive_shell_result_function` to the readline PHP module.
> This function only affects interactive shells - it can optionally be =
used to set or clear a closure when `extension_loaded('readline') =3D=3D=3D=
 true`,
> but that closure would only be called in interactive shells (i.e. php =
-a).
> (That closure would be called instead of the native implementation =
with the snippet of code that was evaluated and the expression's result,
> if a php statement contained a single expression such as `2+2;` or `$x =
=3D [1,2];` (that could be used as the expression of a return statement)
> - Dumping of expression results can be disabled using an ini setting =
or at runtime
>=20
> Thanks,
> - Tyson


I voted =E2=80=9Cno=E2=80=9D because I don=E2=80=99t think =
`readline_interactive_shell_result_function()` solves a problem in a way =
that is better than can be done in userland. It=E2=80=99s quite limited, =
requiring the readline extension, and anyone who wishes to build a more =
complex implementation will need to require users to add something to =
`auto_prepend_file` or manually load something after dropping into =
interactive mode.

I had originally thought that userland implementations might be able to =
make use of this to piggyback off of `php -a`, but Justin Hileman =
(author of PsySH) thinks it=E2=80=99s not something that would be useful =
to userland REPLs [^1].

> There=E2=80=99s still no way to do 99% of what PsySH does without a =
userland REPL. This just makes the output look similar.

I do think there=E2=80=99s value in improving PHP=E2=80=99s built-in =
interactive mode with prettier dumping of expression results, but I =
think `readline_interactive_shell_result_function()` will not end up =
being used in practice.

Cheers,
Ben


[^1]: https://twitter.com/ramsey/status/1347661890420428802


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