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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Should there be a `get_declared_enums()` function ?
In-Reply-To: <87fc9033-b0cc-423a-bcb6-8cef287a8ee6@app.fastmail.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2024 01:58:02 -0400
Cc: php internals <internals@lists.php.net>
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Message-ID: <657540B3-489C-46B8-B326-1958707AFBDE@newclarity.net>
References: <66BD5F05.8010409@adviesenzo.nl>
 <87fc9033-b0cc-423a-bcb6-8cef287a8ee6@app.fastmail.com>
To: Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com>
From: mike@newclarity.net (Mike Schinkel)


> On Wed, Aug 14, 2024, at 8:51 PM, Juliette Reinders Folmer wrote:
> Should a `get_declared_enums()` function be added ?

My answer is "very much, yes."

> On Aug 15, 2024, at 9:09 AM, Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com> =
wrote:
> Context: I can't remember the last time I used get_declared_classes() =
(...it's a kinda pointless function)

Your experience is one data point. Another data point is my experience =
that it is fortunate that `get_declared_classes()` exists as I find it =
to be a very a useful function. The core library I use for most projects =
depends on it for class initialization.=20

Your comment made me curious to see if others use it, and there are 8.1k =
uses on GitHub:=20

- =
https://github.com/search?q=3Dlanguage%3Aphp+get_declared_classes&type=3Dc=
ode

Here is how I have used, in a greatly simplified example:

function autoload($class) {
   $classCount =3D count(get_declared_classes());
   if (!file_exists("src/{$class}.php")) {
     return;
   }
   include_once "src/{$class}.php";
   foreach (get_declared_classes() as $class) {
     if (!method_exists($class,'init')) {
       continue;
     }
     $class::init();
   }
}

As an aside, for this use-case I have always wanted PHP to add both 1.) =
a `get_declared_class_count()` function and 2) optional parameters for =
`get_declared_classes()` that would allow requesting a subset of =
classes, such as just the newly added classes. How important this is =
depends on if PHP maintains that array internally and just returns a =
reference, or if it instantiates memory and populates the array of =
classes to return every time the function is called.

> , so when we were working on enums it never occurred to us to think =
about it.  It wasn't a deliberate decision to omit, as far as I recall.
>=20
> I think I'd be open to adding it; my concern would be the overlap with =
get_declared_classes(), which as you note currently would include enums, =
and changing that is a BC break (even if a tiny one that I doubt would =
impact anyone).

Add another parameter =E2=80=94 or include as part of the args array =E2=80=
=94 something like this (though I am sure this could be bikeshed to be =
better):

get_declared_classes(DeclaredClasses:ONLY_CLASSES, =
['starting_from'=3D>174]);
get_declared_classes(DeclaredClasses:ALL, ['recently_declared'=3D>3]);

Or even:

DeclaredSymbols::get_classes([$args])  <-- returns only classes, not =
enums
DeclaredSymbols::get_enums([$args])
DeclaredSymbols::get_interfaces([$args])
DeclaredSymbols::get_traits([$args])
#fwiw

> On Aug 16, 2024, at 12:23 AM, Juliette Reinders Folmer =
<php-internals_nospam@adviesenzo.nl> wrote:
> Thanks for the response. It was exactly a (custom) autoloader =
situation which caused me to start wondering about this.

Seems Juliette's use-case may be at least somewhat similar to mine.

-Mike=