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Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2025 21:14:39 -0400
Message-ID: <CAGQ-LjeBns6xjEoRWgtgxYu_VchxWXPfsKYhQkqYbgxuXteGnA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Three proposals for PHP 9
To: Alexandre Daubois <alex.daubois+php@gmail.com>
Cc: Thomas Bley <mails@thomasbley.de>, internals@lists.php.net
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From: greg@qbix.com (Gregory Magarshak)

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That would be great.

To be honest, the biggest bang cod the buck would be switch_global_context.
Just that alone can turn all existing php code into something that can be
adapted to evented programming (amPHP, reactPHP, Swoole and FrankenPHP).

As it is, only Latavel Octane and a couple other projects have dared to
redo everything. And the reason is all the static functions, static vars,
global vars, superglobals etc. If one can just switch global contexts with
switch_global_context as easily as they can switch sessions with
session_start, that would be a game-changer.

Of course then we have the question of too many contexts in memory at once,
so we do need to serialize them to disk, and that=E2=80=99s where I think
encryption-at-rest can be transparently introduced, with a key specified at
start. It can also be re-used for storing session data and lots of other
data. Just another example of PHP nicely taking care of things for us (like
it automatically hydrates the superglobals for us etc.)

This is idiomatic PHP, it is shared-nothing and is the only web hosting
runtime that=E2=80=99s actually safe by default =E2=80=94 safe from leaking=
 secrets,
memory, etc. across requests. These two functions can keep it that way,
leveraging all the code that=E2=80=99s already been written assuming shared=
-nothing
(php-fpm) and making it work in the evented paradigm, where leaks can
happen.

If we do this, I can see php developing an ecosystem of asynchronous
drivers just like node has, for I/O with callbacks (using select()
underneath in POSIX systems for example). Already the amphp and other
ecosystems have the basics: https, mysql, etc. But the advantage would be
that PHP would remain safe, by having devs build on all the existing code
that relies on its shared-nothing architecture (from Wordpress to Drupal to
Magento to Joomla to our platform etc.) and just making it 10x faster and
evented

Until then=E2=80=A6 I guess I=E2=80=99ll just use curl_multi and batch requ=
ests together
clunkily through closures.

Sincerely,
Greg Magarshak
https://github.com/Qbix

On Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 5:15=E2=80=AFAM Alexandre Daubois <
alex.daubois+php@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe add a new function
> func_get_named_args(): array<string, mixed>, would be a good extension to
> the named arguments rfc.
>
> I even wonder if this would require a RFC? If not, this is something
> that may be proposed for PHP 8.5.
>
> Best,
> Alexandre Daubois
>

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<div dir=3D"auto">That would be great.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><di=
v dir=3D"auto">To be honest, the biggest bang cod the buck would be switch_=
global_context. Just that alone can turn all existing php code into somethi=
ng that can be adapted to evented programming (amPHP, reactPHP, Swoole and =
FrankenPHP).</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">As it is, o=
nly Latavel Octane and a couple other projects have dared to redo everythin=
g. And the reason is all the static functions, static vars, global vars, su=
perglobals etc. If one can just switch global contexts with switch_global_c=
ontext as easily as they can switch sessions with session_start, that would=
 be a game-changer.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Of c=
ourse then we have the question of too many contexts in memory at once, so =
we do need to serialize them to disk, and that=E2=80=99s where I think encr=
yption-at-rest can be transparently introduced, with a key specified at sta=
rt. It can also be re-used for storing session data and lots of other data.=
 Just another example of PHP nicely taking care of things for us (like it a=
utomatically hydrates the superglobals for us etc.)</div><div dir=3D"auto">=
<br></div><div dir=3D"auto">This is idiomatic PHP, it is shared-nothing and=
 is the only web hosting runtime that=E2=80=99s actually safe by default =
=E2=80=94 safe from leaking secrets, memory, etc. across requests. These tw=
o functions can keep it that way, leveraging all the code that=E2=80=99s al=
ready been written assuming shared-nothing (php-fpm) and making it work in =
the evented paradigm, where leaks can happen.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></=
div><div dir=3D"auto">If we do this, I can see php developing an ecosystem =
of asynchronous drivers just like node has, for I/O with callbacks (using s=
elect() underneath in POSIX systems for example). Already the amphp and oth=
er ecosystems have the basics: https, mysql, etc. But the advantage would b=
e that PHP would remain safe, by having devs build on all the existing code=
 that relies on its shared-nothing architecture (from Wordpress to Drupal t=
o Magento to Joomla to our platform etc.) and just making it 10x faster and=
 evented</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Until then=E2=
=80=A6 I guess I=E2=80=99ll just use curl_multi and batch requests together=
 clunkily through closures.<br clear=3D"all"><br clear=3D"all"><div dir=3D"=
auto"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_si=
gnature">Sincerely,<br>Greg Magarshak<br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gm=
ail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"><a href=3D"https://github=
.com/Qbix">https://github.com/Qbix</a></div><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail=
_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature"><br></div></div></div><div><=
div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"g=
mail_attr">On Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 5:15=E2=80=AFAM Alexandre Daubois &lt;<a=
 href=3D"mailto:alex.daubois%2Bphp@gmail.com">alex.daubois+php@gmail.com</a=
>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px=
 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1=
ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)">&gt; Thanks for the suggestions. May=
be add a new function func_get_named_args(): array&lt;string, mixed&gt;, wo=
uld be a good extension to the named arguments rfc.<br>
<br>
I even wonder if this would require a RFC? If not, this is something<br>
that may be proposed for PHP 8.5.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Alexandre Daubois<br>
</blockquote></div></div>

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