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Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2023 14:45:41 +0200
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To: Niels Dossche <dossche.niels@gmail.com>,
 "Vorisek, Michael" <vorismi3@fjfi.cvut.cz>,
 "internals@lists.php.net" <internals@lists.php.net>
References: <GVXPR06MB8972D3FEA5647B021C5775E3B2909@GVXPR06MB8972.eurprd06.prod.outlook.com>
 <e989fc60-2621-63ea-c5d9-aedb79d210e2@gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Array spread append
From: tim@bastelstu.be (=?UTF-8?Q?Tim_D=c3=bcsterhus?=)

Hi

On 4/8/23 22:17, Niels Dossche wrote:
> I think this could be made more generic, and be cleaned up.
> But I don't know if something like this is desired in PHP.

Yes, please. I believe that “performance” should not influence API 
design if it can be avoided. Instead the heavy lifting of optimization 
should be done by the engine (see also: 
https://externals.io/message/118896#118921).

The suggested optimization of "the input is overwritten with the output" 
would then also allow to avoid introducing reference parameters just for 
optimization purposes. The sort() family comes to my mind and also the 
shuffle() function. Randomizer::shuffleArray() already returns a copy 
and thus would benefit from the proposed optimization for $a = 
$r->shuffleArray($a).

Best regards
Tim Düsterhus