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Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:50:27 +0300
Message-ID: <CAF-mU4z49xwdFFhPN=rm5j4S_w6VhwUYkjZAjYJKu7RoQJp-9A@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Split as an alias to explode
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
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From: raveren@gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Rokas_=C5=A0leinius?=)

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On Mon, 18 Aug 2025 at 17:18, Christian Schneider <cschneid@cschneid.com>
wrote:

> Am 18.08.2025 um 15:36 schrieb Rowan Tommins [IMSoP] <imsop.php@rwec.co.uk
> >:
> > A developer coming to PHP from any combination of JavaScript, Perl, C#,
> Java, VisualBasic, Python, Ruby, Swift, Elixir, Dart, Rust, even Excel ...
> is going to look first for a function called "split" or some variation of
> that. If they have any common sense, they'll know they need to look up
> exactly what arguments it needs, and what options it provides.
>
> I don't think people nowadays search through documentation for a specific
> function name.
> I am pretty confident that people will either Google/DDG/... or ask an AI
> chat something like "How do I split a string in PHP?" which gives a
> complete code example including parameter order.
>
> > If we don't want to add an alias, we should probably add a fake manual
> entry pointing people in the right direction, like we have for "delete":
> https://www.php.net/delete
>
> This would IMHO be better suited for a tutorial / learning website, I am
> not convinced that we need to extend the reference documentation (or even
> the language) with entries of synonyms/aliases people might be looking for.
>
> So, in short, that's a -1 for a split alias from me.
>
> Regards,
> - Chris
>
Personally, after 15+ years with PHP, I never know which one I need:
implode or explode, neither name makes intuitive sense to me and I do an
in-ide doc lookup to see if I got the right one every time.

Making a programming language intuitive and self-explanatory in ENGLISH
(i.e. not in javascript, not in php), makes it more efficient - and more
loved.

I think this alias is definitely a worthwhile addition.

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fon=
t-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(102,51,0)"><br></div><=
/div><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" clas=
s=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 18 Aug 2025 at 17:18, Christian Schneider &lt;<a h=
ref=3D"mailto:cschneid@cschneid.com">cschneid@cschneid.com</a>&gt; wrote:<b=
r></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex=
;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Am 18.08.2025 um =
15:36 schrieb Rowan Tommins [IMSoP] &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:imsop.php@rwec.co=
.uk" target=3D"_blank">imsop.php@rwec.co.uk</a>&gt;:<br>
&gt; A developer coming to PHP from any combination of JavaScript, Perl, C#=
, Java, VisualBasic, Python, Ruby, Swift, Elixir, Dart, Rust, even Excel ..=
. is going to look first for a function called &quot;split&quot; or some va=
riation of that. If they have any common sense, they&#39;ll know they need =
to look up exactly what arguments it needs, and what options it provides.<b=
r>
<br>
I don&#39;t think people nowadays search through documentation for a specif=
ic function name.<br>
I am pretty confident that people will either Google/DDG/... or ask an AI c=
hat something like &quot;How do I split a string in PHP?&quot; which gives =
a complete code example including parameter order.<br>
<br>
&gt; If we don&#39;t want to add an alias, we should probably add a fake ma=
nual entry pointing people in the right direction, like we have for &quot;d=
elete&quot;: <a href=3D"https://www.php.net/delete" rel=3D"noreferrer" targ=
et=3D"_blank">https://www.php.net/delete</a><br>
<br>
This would IMHO be better suited for a tutorial / learning website, I am no=
t convinced that we need to extend the reference documentation (or even the=
 language) with entries of synonyms/aliases people might be looking for.<br=
>
<br>
So, in short, that&#39;s a -1 for a split alias from me.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
- Chris<br></blockquote><div><span class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-fa=
mily:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(102,51,0)"></span>
<div dir=3D"auto">Personally, after 15+ years with PHP, I never know which
 one I need: implode or explode, neither name makes intuitive sense to=20
me and I do an in-ide doc lookup to see if I got the right one every=20
time.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Making a=20
programming language intuitive and self-explanatory in ENGLISH (i.e. not
 in javascript, not in php), makes it more efficient - and more loved.</div=
><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I think this alias is defini=
tely a worthwhile addition.=C2=A0</div></div></div></div>

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