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Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2025 08:37:57 +0100
Message-ID: <CAMkukMwkKik_pxd_eigPcpQ1f+3PC61M=t=7dJiFN-2JQ5Tneg@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] RFC: Not Null Assertion Operator
To: Mihail Liahimov <91liahim@gmail.com>
Cc: PHP internals <internals@lists.php.net>
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From: hello@faizanakram.me (Faizan Akram Dar)

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On Fri, 7 Feb 2025, 08:30 Mihail Liahimov, <91liahim@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you for your answer. Now I will give examples for better
> understanding.
>
> Simple examples from Typescript:
>
> let foo = ...
> foo!.bar()
> foo!.someProperty.baz()
>
> Examples of potentially using in PHP:
> Without this operator we writing this code:
>
> $foo = ...
>
> if ($foo === null) {
>     throw new FooIsNullException();
> }
>
> $foo->bar.
>
> With this operator:
>
> $foo!->bar
> $foo!->someProperty->method();
> $foo!->someProperty->anotherProperty!->method();
>
> I think the postfix operator would be illogical in PHP because my operator
> is similar to the existing nullsafe operator in syntax. And it would be
> strange if its syntax were different.
> Or we can implement both operator syntaxes: prefix for accessing
> properties, and postfix for use with variables, as in your example.
>
> Nullsafe:
> $foo?->bar;
> Not null assertion:
> $foo!->bar;
>
> If variable bar would be null - php will throw an exception. But now i
> dont know which exception it would be :)
>
> This operator will be useful in cases where a null value in a specific
> place will violate the domain logic. Usually we write either assertions or
> checks and throw our exceptions for this. But it seems to me that the not
> null assertion operator will help avoid writing unnecessary code. The
> problem, of course, will be catching errors. It is not clear how to catch
> errors by a specific value. I will think about it.
>


Hi,

I don't see the point of this operator, php doesn't allow any operation
over null.

See https://3v4l.org/UJ5eg

It's throwing warning (mostly for backwards compatibility), I'd rather have
it throw error in next php version.

Static analysis already complain about it, so whats the point of !->
operator?
https://phpstan.org/r/c9d6e7b3-ac66-4e91-81e8-af0cafdc976c

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<div dir=3D"auto"><div><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_contai=
ner"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, 7 Feb 2025, 08:30 Mihail=
 Liahimov, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:91liahim@gmail.com">91liahim@gmail.com</a>=
&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 =
0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Thank =
you for your answer. Now I will give examples for better understanding.<br>=
<br>Simple examples from Typescript:<br><br>let foo =3D ...<br>foo!.bar()<b=
r>foo!.someProperty.baz()<br><br>Examples of potentially using in PHP:<br>W=
ithout this operator we writing this code:<br><br>$foo =3D ...<br><br>if ($=
foo =3D=3D=3D null) {<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 throw new FooIsNullException();<br>}=
<br><br>$foo-&gt;bar.<br><br>With this operator:<br><br>$foo!-&gt;bar<br>$f=
oo!-&gt;someProperty-&gt;method();<br>$foo!-&gt;someProperty-&gt;anotherPro=
perty!-&gt;method();<br><br>I think the postfix operator would be illogical=
 in PHP because my operator is similar to the existing nullsafe operator in=
 syntax. And it would be strange if its syntax were different.<br>Or we can=
 implement both operator syntaxes: prefix for accessing properties, and pos=
tfix for use with variables, as in your example.<br><br>Nullsafe:<br>$foo?-=
&gt;bar;<br>Not null assertion:<br>$foo!-&gt;bar;<br><br>If variable bar wo=
uld be null - php will throw an exception. But now i dont know which except=
ion it would be :)<br><br>This operator will be useful in cases where a nul=
l value in a specific place will violate the domain logic. Usually we write=
 either assertions or checks and throw our exceptions for this. But it seem=
s to me that the not null assertion operator will help avoid writing unnece=
ssary code. The problem, of course, will be catching errors. It is not clea=
r how to catch errors by a specific value. I will think about it.<br></div>=
</blockquote></div></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br>=
</div><div dir=3D"auto">Hi,</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"au=
to">I don&#39;t see the point of this operator, php doesn&#39;t allow any o=
peration over null.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto=
">See=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://3v4l.org/UJ5eg">https://3v4l.org/UJ5eg</a></d=
iv><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">It&#39;s throwing warning =
(mostly for backwards compatibility), I&#39;d rather have it throw error in=
 next php version.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"=
>Static analysis already complain about it, so whats the point of !-&gt; op=
erator?</div><div dir=3D"auto"><a href=3D"https://phpstan.org/r/c9d6e7b3-ac=
66-4e91-81e8-af0cafdc976c">https://phpstan.org/r/c9d6e7b3-ac66-4e91-81e8-af=
0cafdc976c</a></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div=
><div dir=3D"auto"><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc =
solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"></div>
</blockquote></div></div></div>

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