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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [Discussion][RFC Idea] Cast Variables by Reference
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 19:54:49 +0200
In-Reply-To: <9f14ae52-6c78-41a1-8d2a-7330fd92d1a9@app.fastmail.com>
Cc: PHP Internals <internals@lists.php.net>
To: Joseph Leedy <joseph+php@josephleedy.dev>
References: <9f14ae52-6c78-41a1-8d2a-7330fd92d1a9@app.fastmail.com>
From: claude.pache@gmail.com (Claude Pache)


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> Le 7 juil. 2025 =C3=A0 18:22, Joseph Leedy =
<joseph+php@josephleedy.dev> a =C3=A9crit :
>=20
> Hello, I'm Joseph, or Seph for short. I'm a long time listener, but a=20=

> first-time caller. I've had an idea rattling around in my noggin for a =
while=20
> that I'd like your feedback on:
>=20
> As a developer, I would like to have variables of one type cast to =
another=20
> type automatically so that I do not need to assign the variable to =
itself.
>=20
> Instead of the following:
>=20
> ```php
> $price =3D '5.0123';
> ...
> $price =3D (float) $price;
>=20
> var_dump($price); // Result: `float: 5.0123`
> ```
>=20
> What if we could do this instead?
>=20
> ```php
> $price =3D '5.0123';
> ...
> (float) $price;
>=20
> var_dump($price); // Result: `float: 5.0123`
> ```
>=20
> If everyone thinks this a good idea, I would be willing to put =
together an=20
> RFC and work on the implementation myself, with guidance from an =
experienced=20
> core developer. I have no experience with C/C++, other than a brief =
foray=20
> more than twenty years ago, but I am willing to learn.
>=20
> Thank you for your consideration! Also, a huge thank you to everyone =
who=20
> has made PHP what it is today!=20
>=20
> (**Note**: No AI was used in the writing of this message.)

Hi,

There is already a built-in function for that very purpose, namely =
`settype()`, see:

https://www.php.net/settype


=E2=80=94Claude






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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br =
id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div>Le 7 juil. 2025 =C3=A0 18:22, Joseph Leedy =
&lt;joseph+php@josephleedy.dev&gt; a =C3=A9crit :</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div>Hello, I'm Joseph, or Seph =
for short. I'm a long time listener, but a <br>first-time caller. I've =
had an idea rattling around in my noggin for a while <br>that I'd like =
your feedback on:<br><br>As a developer, I would like to have variables =
of one type cast to another <br>type automatically so that I do not need =
to assign the variable to itself.<br><br>Instead of the =
following:<br><br>```php<br>$price =3D '5.0123';<br>...<br>$price =3D =
(float) $price;<br><br>var_dump($price); // Result: `float: =
5.0123`<br>```<br><br>What if we could do this =
instead?<br><br>```php<br>$price =3D '5.0123';<br>...<br>(float) =
$price;<br><br>var_dump($price); // Result: `float: =
5.0123`<br>```<br><br>If everyone thinks this a good idea, I would be =
willing to put together an <br>RFC and work on the implementation =
myself, with guidance from an experienced <br>core developer. I have no =
experience with C/C++, other than a brief foray <br>more than twenty =
years ago, but I am willing to learn.<br><br>Thank you for your =
consideration! Also, a huge thank you to everyone who <br>has made PHP =
what it is today! <br><br>(**Note**: No AI was used in the writing of =
this =
message.)<br></div></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Hi,</div><div><br></d=
iv><div>There is already a built-in function for that very purpose, =
namely `settype()`, see:</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"https://www.php.net/settype">https://www.php.net/settype</a></div>=
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>=E2=80=94Claude</div><div><br></div><di=
v><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br></body></html>=

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