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Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2021 17:33:36 -0400
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To: Rowan Tommins <rowan.collins@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Alias stdClass to DynamicObject?
From: mike@newclarity.net (Mike Schinkel)

> On Sep 8, 2021, at 4:59 PM, Rowan Tommins <rowan.collins@gmail.com> =
wrote:
>> I assume we would also disallow dynamic properties in anonymous =
classes too, right? After all, they are just statically declared classes =
that the developer do not assign a name.
>=20
> The difference I see is that stdClass/DynamicObject allows you to add =
or remove properties from an object *after it has been created*. I think =
a lot of use cases don't actually need that, and would benefit from =
error messages when doing so accidentally.

The concern is *not* were they are not needed, but instead where they =
*are* needed.  Such as when loading JSON from a source that does not =
ensure the schema is 100% stable over time.

That's also why I was hoping some of those complaining about deprecating =
stdClass would explain explain their use-cases as they may know of =
use-cases we are not considering.


> You mentioned short-hand syntaxes like this:
>=20
>> $obj =3D {
>>     foo: 1,
>>     bar: "hello",
>>     baz: true,
>> };
>=20
> I would love for that, or some other short-hand, to be equivalent to =
this:
>=20
> $obj =3D new class(foo: 1, bar: "hello", baz: true) {
>     public $foo;
>     public $bar;
>     public $baz;
>     public function __construct($foo, $bar, $baz) {
>        $this->foo  =3D $foo;
>        $this->bar =3D $bar;
>        $this->baz =3D $baz;
>     }
> }
>=20
> That is, an anonymous class, with exactly those three properties. If =
you *also* want to be able to define extra properties after it's =
created, you could opt into that using whatever mechanism a named class =
would (parent class, trait, attribute, etc; see other thread).

Exactly!

Actually the same functionality for named classes is something I have =
wanted since literally the very first day I starting using PHP so I =
wouldn't have to run userland code that loops through an array that runs =
for so many object instantiations. I have to believe it would be more =
performant if in C. (Reasons I do that? Loading from JSON, XML and/or =
SQL.). We've need either a magic method or ability to pass a close for =
name translations and short circuiting. =20

That functionality is the primary reason I almost always use a base =
class; it would be nice to get rid of that requirement.=20

> Similarly, the objects created by json_decode or PDO_FETCH_OBJECT only =
need the *initial* properties to be dynamic, not to allow properties to =
be added later.

How do you define "initial?"

-Mike