Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:123892
Feedback-ID: id4f946ef:Fastmail
User-Agent: Cyrus-JMAP/3.11.0-alpha0-538-g1508afaa2-fm-20240616.001-g1508afaa
Precedence: bulk
MIME-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <71dc8137-ded0-41dc-bc9b-32dde12f9170@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <6D0733B2-A1D1-45EC-B93E-029B1616A22F@miles.systems>
References: <6D0733B2-A1D1-45EC-B93E-029B1616A22F@miles.systems>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 22:56:08 +0200
To: "php internals" <internals@lists.php.net>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [Initial Feedback] Typed Arrays
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
 boundary=89e337023a964c749b3bea3bd83c9726
From: langemeijer@php.net ("Casper Langemeijer")

--89e337023a964c749b3bea3bd83c9726
Content-Type: text/plain


On Wed, Jun 26, 2024, at 21:59, Richard Miles wrote:
>  I think we should have typed arrays in PHP. 

Yes! I cannot stand sitting through conference talks on 'generics' that only talk about 'collections'. This could be solved if we had typed arrays. If anything we would get better talks on Generics. :-)

Arrays of a type is one of the last cases where I need docblocks to tell my editor about the types.

In my opinion, even if we would have some implementation of generics, having typed arrays with a simple syntax would be awesome.

A syntax suggestion:

$array = stdClass[];
class A {
  public stdClass[] $array;
}

Adding an invalid array member should throw TypeError.

I know there are way more edge-case situations to think of (for example: if class B extends A, $b is of type B[], but holds only A's, can $b be assigned as value of public A[] $a ?)

>  Generics or bust.

I do not understand the reasoning behind that. Is it because we really want generics, but when the 95% use-case is solved we fear that there would not be enough momentum to get that? I'd love to have generics too, but a very simple array syntax would in my opinion still add a lot of value, even if we already had generics.

--89e337023a964c749b3bea3bd83c9726
Content-Type: text/html
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title></title><style type=3D"text/css">p.Mso=
Normal,p.MsoNoSpacing{margin:0}</style></head><body><div><br></div><div>=
<span style=3D"color:var(--ui-page-color-fg);">On Wed, Jun 26, 2024, at =
21:59, Richard Miles wrote:</span><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite" id=
=3D"qt" style=3D"overflow-wrap:break-word;"><div><span style=3D"color:va=
r(--ui-page-color-fg);">&nbsp;I think we should have typed arrays in PHP=
.&nbsp;</span><br></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Yes! I cannot s=
tand sitting through conference talks on 'generics' that only talk about=
 'collections'. This could be solved if we had typed arrays. If anything=
 we would get better talks on Generics. :-)<br></div><div><br></div><div=
>Arrays of a type is one of the last cases where I need docblocks to tel=
l my editor about the types.<br></div><div><br></div><div>In my opinion,=
 even if we would have some implementation of generics, having typed arr=
ays with a simple syntax would be awesome.<br></div><div><br></div><div>=
A syntax suggestion:</div><div><br></div><div>$array =3D stdClass[];<br>=
</div><div>class A {</div><div>&nbsp; public stdClass[] $array;</div><di=
v>}<br></div><div><br></div><div>Adding an invalid array member should t=
hrow TypeError.</div><div><br></div><div>I know there are way more edge-=
case situations to think of (for example: if class B extends A, $b is of=
 type B[], but holds only A's, can $b be assigned as value of public A[]=
 $a ?)<br></div><div><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>&nbsp;Gene=
rics or bust.<br></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I do not underst=
and the reasoning behind that. Is it because we really want generics, bu=
t when the 95% use-case is solved we fear that there would not be enough=
 momentum to get that? I'd love to have generics too, but a very simple =
array syntax would in my opinion still add a lot of value, even if we al=
ready had generics.</div><div><br></div></body></html>
--89e337023a964c749b3bea3bd83c9726--