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Date: Sun, 05 May 2024 10:45:24 -0700
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Proposal: Arbitrary precision native scalar type
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From: imsop.php@rwec.co.uk ("Rowan Tommins [IMSoP]")



On 30 April 2024 11:16:20 GMT-07:00, Arvids Godjuks <arvids=2Egodjuks@gmai=
l=2Ecom> wrote:
>I think setting some expectations in the proper context is warranted here=
=2E
>
>1=2E Would a native decimal type be good for the language? I would say we
>probably are not going to find many if any people who would be against it=
=2E

As I said earlier, I don't think that's the right question, because "addin=
g a native type" isn't a defined process=2E Better questions are: Should a =
decimal type be always available? Does a decimal type need special features=
 to maximise performance? Should we have special syntax for a decimal type?=
 What functions should support a decimal type, or have versions which do?


>2=2E Is there a need for it? Well, the whole world of e-commerce, account=
ing
>and all kinds of business systems that deal with money in PHP world do no=
t
>leave any room for doubt - https://packagist=2Eorg/?query=3Dmoney =2E The=
 use
>case is right there :)

That's a great example - would a decimal type make those libraries redunda=
nt? Probably not - they provide currency and rounding facilities beyond bas=
ic maths=2E Would those libraries benefit from an always-available, high-pe=
rformance native type? Certainly=2E=20

Would they benefit from it having strong integration into the syntax and s=
tandard library of the language? Not really; there's a small amount of actu=
al code dealing with the values=2E


>4=2E Is it a lot of engine work?

Only if we go for the maximum ambition, highly integrated into the languag=
e=2E=20


> Is it worth it?=20

I'm actually not convinced=2E


>5=2E But BCMath/GMP/etc!!! Well, extensions are optional=2E

Extensions are only optional if we decide they are=2E ext/json used to be =
optional, but now it's always-on=2E


> They are also not as fast and they deal with strings=2E

Not as fast as what? If someone wants to make an extension around a faster=
 library, they can=2E And only BCMath acts directly on strings; other libra=
ries use text input to create a value in memory - whether that's a PHP stri=
ng or a literal provided by the compiler doesn't make much difference=2E



I absolutely think there are use cases for decimal types and functions; bu=
t "I want a faster implementation" and "I want to add a new fundamental typ=
e to the language, affecting every corner of the engine" are very different=
 things=2E

Regards,
Rowan Tommins
[IMSoP]