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Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2022 12:20:49 +0100
Message-ID: <CABdc3WoPVS0HH42HMHewsKW07BQFMNkW6a2QS0GyKx38gdX3SQ@mail.gmail.com>
To: Claude Pache <claude.pache@gmail.com>
Cc: joke2k <joke2k@gmail.com>, internals@lists.php.net
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000fd796105f07cfa39"
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Methods which auto-return the class instance
From: michal.brzuchalski@gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Micha=C5=82_Marcin_Brzuchalski?=)

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Hi Daniele and Claude,

pt., 23 gru 2022 o 10:33 Claude Pache <claude.pache@gmail.com> napisa=C5=82=
(a):

>
> > Le 23 d=C3=A9c. 2022 =C3=A0 01:08, joke2k <joke2k@gmail.com> a =C3=A9cr=
it :
> >
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > What do you think about having a method which returns the class instanc=
e
> > `$this` by default only IF its return type is set as `self`?
> >
> > It is very common for fluent class methods to have a verbose `return
> > $this;` ending in their body.
> > But If you have declared `self` as return type into a non-static class
> > method you have only two options to return:
> >
> > - the $this object
> > - another instance of the same class or subclass
> >
> > ... in order to avoid a return type error.
>
> It is still two options, and it is not clear in general which one to pick=
.
> You could also say that, if you have `object` as return type, there are t=
wo
> options to avoid a return type error: either return the `$this` object, o=
r
> return another object.
>
> >
> > My proposal is to set the instruction `return $this;` as optional for
> > non-static class methods with `self` declared as return type.
>
>
> I=E2=80=99d rather have a syntax saying explicitly that you want to retur=
n $this,
> rather than letting the interpreter guess what you meant. The obvious one
> is:
>
> ```php
> public function hit(): $this { $this->counter++; }
> ```
>
> Here, there is only one possible return value, and therefore the `return`
> instruction might be reasonably omitted.
>

I like the idea of `$this` as a return type but also strongly believe that
the use of `return $this;` should be forbidden,
eventually for control flow use of `return;` might be justified.

Cheers,
Micha=C5=82 Marcin Brzuchalski

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