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Reply-To: Levi Morrison <levi.morrison@datadoghq.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2021 21:02:32 -0600
Message-ID: <CAAKU0u=x43xdY5n_NH5_dC7k_ZucRd-f0q2dpBHEATJbUCyyGg@mail.gmail.com>
To: Nikita Popov <nikita.ppv@gmail.com>
Cc: PHP internals <internals@lists.php.net>, Rowan Collins <rowan.collins@gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Alias stdClass to DynamicObject?
From: internals@lists.php.net ("Levi Morrison via internals")

On Mon, Sep 6, 2021 at 9:29 AM Nikita Popov <nikita.ppv@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi internals,
>
> In the thread for deprecation of dynamic properties, Rowan suggested that
> we alias "stdClass" to "DynamicObject" in
> https://externals.io/message/115800#115802. I wanted to split this
> discussion off into a separate thread, as this can be decided independently.
>
> The rationale for this is that "stdClass" is something of a misnomer: The
> name makes it sound like this is a common base class, as used in a number
> of other languages. However, PHP does not have a common base class. The
> only way in which "stdClass" is "standard" is that it is the return type of
> casting an array to (object).
>
> The actual role of stdClass is to serve as a container for dynamic
> properties, thus the suggested DynamicObject name.
>
> What do people think about adding such an alias? Is this worthwhile?
>
> Regards,
> Nikita

If the alias goes to vote as the name DynamicObject, then I will
likely abstain. I don't care.

If it goes to vote under some other name, perhaps "map", or "dict",
then I would likely oppose it. I would like to keep those names
available for more useful features. There are multiple feature that
would like these names:
  1. Hacklang-style dict, which is a value-based dictionary type.
Importantly, this is copy-on-write like an array; it does not have
object semantics.
  2. In the event we ever add generics, it would be nice to have these
names available for interfaces.

I don't think an alias and replacement name for stdClass is important
enough to use these names.