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Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2025 01:22:35 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: RFC: short and inner classes
To: Rob Landers <rob@bottled.codes>
Cc: internals@lists.php.net, =?UTF-8?Q?Tim_D=C3=BCsterhus?= <tim@bastelstu.be>
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From: bobwei9@hotmail.com (Bob Weinand)

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Hey Rob,

On 14.3.2025 00:26:03, Rob Landers wrote:
> My biggest issue with `::` is that it gets weird:
>
> class Foo {
>   public class Bar {}
>   public const Bar = "";
>   public static function Bar() {}
> }
>
> echo Foo::Bar; // this is the constant
> new Foo::Bar(); // this is the class
> Foo::Bar(); // this is the method
> new (Foo::Bar()); // this is the method
> new (Foo::Bar); // this is constant
>
> I can now differentiate between these all in the AST, but it seems 
> weird to me. If we go this route, I'd personally have the preference 
> to allow them all and let people's code-style dictate what is 
> acceptable or not -- assuming I can ensure there is no ambiguity in 
> the grammar. At least with `:>` (or something else) we don't have to 
> even have that discussion. :)

Why would that be weird?

In 99% of the cases new followed by something followed by double colons 
followed by something else is just the inner class.

Writing new (Foo::Bar) or new (Foo::Bar()) already today looks 
suspicious and will remain looking suspicious. Nothing will change about 
that. And "Foo::Bar" (or "Foo::Bar()") without being preceded by "new" 
or followed by "::" is just the normal class constant.

On top of that, there are naming conventions in PHP which will make it 
even more obvious: class constants in uppercase and methods in camelCase 
and class names in PascalCase. So, just looking at Foo::Bar (without 
considering any surrounding tokens), you expect a class name. Looking at 
Foo::BAR, you expect a constant. Looking at Foo::bar you expect a method.


echo Foo::BAR; // this is the constant
new Foo::Bar(); // this is the class
Foo::bar(); // this is the method

new (Foo::bar()); // this is the method
new (Foo::BAR); // this is constant
// or alternatively:
$myFantasticInterface = Foo::bar();
new $myFantasticInterface;
$myAwesomeInterface = Foo::BAR;
new $myAwesomeInterface;

There's no real surprises at a glance as long as you don't intentionally 
make your code obscure.


Bob

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  <body>
    <p>Hey Rob,<br>
    </p>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 14.3.2025 00:26:03, Rob Landers
      wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:44ccdbea-747d-46ca-97f9-8dd63fe8b55a@app.fastmail.com">
      
      <title></title>
      <style type="text/css">p.MsoNormal,p.MsoNoSpacing{margin:0}</style>
      <div>My biggest issue with `::` is that it gets weird:<br>
      </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>class Foo {<br>
      </div>
      <div>&nbsp; public class Bar {}<br>
      </div>
      <div>&nbsp; public const Bar = &quot;&quot;;<br>
      </div>
      <div>&nbsp; public static function Bar() {}<br>
      </div>
      <div>}<br>
      </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>echo Foo::Bar; // this is the constant<br>
      </div>
      <div>new Foo::Bar(); // this is the class<br>
      </div>
      <div>Foo::Bar(); // this is the method<br>
      </div>
      <div>new (Foo::Bar()); // this is the method<br>
      </div>
      <div>new (Foo::Bar); // this is constant</div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>I can now differentiate between these all in the AST, but it
        seems weird to me. If we go this route, I'd personally have the
        preference to allow them all and let people's code-style dictate
        what is acceptable or not -- assuming I can ensure there is no
        ambiguity in the grammar. At least with `:&gt;` (or something
        else) we don't have to even have that discussion. :)<br>
      </div>
    </blockquote>
    <p>Why would that be weird?</p>
    <p>In 99% of the cases new followed by something followed by double
      colons followed by something else is just the inner class.</p>
    <p>Writing new (Foo::Bar) or new (Foo::Bar()) already today looks
      suspicious and will remain looking suspicious. Nothing will change
      about that. And &quot;Foo::Bar&quot; (or &quot;Foo::Bar()&quot;) without being
      preceded by &quot;new&quot; or followed by &quot;::&quot; is just the normal class
      constant.</p>
    <p>On top of that, there are naming conventions in PHP which will
      make it even more obvious: class constants in uppercase and
      methods in camelCase and class names in PascalCase. So, just
      looking at Foo::Bar (without considering any surrounding tokens),
      you expect a class name. Looking at Foo::BAR, you expect a
      constant. Looking at Foo::bar you expect a method.</p>
    <p><br>
    </p>
    <div>echo Foo::BAR; // this is the constant<br>
    </div>
    <div>new Foo::Bar(); // this is the class<br>
    </div>
    <div>Foo::bar(); // this is the method</div>
    <div><br>
    </div>
    <div>new (Foo::bar()); // this is the method<br>
    </div>
    <div>new (Foo::BAR); // this is constant</div>
    <div>// or alternatively:</div>
    <div>$myFantasticInterface = Foo::bar();<br>
    </div>
    <div>new $myFantasticInterface;</div>
    <div>$myAwesomeInterface = Foo::BAR;</div>
    <div>new $myAwesomeInterface;<br>
    </div>
    <p></p>
    <p>There's no real surprises at a glance as long as you don't
      intentionally make your code obscure.</p>
    <p><br>
    </p>
    <p>Bob<br>
    </p>
  </body>
</html>

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