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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Pattern Matching
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2025 10:26:08 +0400
Message-ID: <D623A033-2D59-40E4-9158-762FBBEB99AB@gmail.com>
References: <e25ea0a6-bb82-4762-9e51-a543d0e6efe5@app.fastmail.com>
Cc: php internals <internals@lists.php.net>
In-Reply-To: <e25ea0a6-bb82-4762-9e51-a543d0e6efe5@app.fastmail.com>
To: Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com>
From: xepozzd@gmail.com (Dmitry Derepko)



> On Dec 2, 2025, at 1:38=E2=80=AFAM, Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com=
> wrote:
>=20
> =EF=BB=BFHi folks.  Ilija and I would like to present our latest RFC endea=
vor, pattern matching:
>=20
> https://wiki.php.net/rfc/pattern-matching
>=20
> You may note the date on the RFC is from 2020.  Yes, we really have had th=
is one in-progress for 5 years. :-)  (Though it was inactive for many of tho=
se years, in fairness.)  Pattern matching was intended as the next follow up=
 to Enums, as it's a stepping stone toward full ADT support.  However, we al=
so feel it has enormous benefit on its own for simplifying complex compariso=
ns.
>=20
> This RFC has been through numerous iterations, including a full implementa=
tion rewrite just recently that made a number of features much easier.  We h=
ave therefore included two patterns that were previously slated for later in=
clusion but turned out to be trivially easy in the new approach.  (Variable p=
inning and numeric comparison.)
>=20
> Nonetheless, there are two outstanding questions on which we are looking f=
or feedback.
>=20
> Naturally given the timing, we will not be calling a vote until at least l=
ate January, regardless of how the discussion goes.  So, plenty of time to e=
xpress your support. :-)
>=20
> --
>  Larry Garfield
>  larry@garfieldtech.com

Thank you for the RFC and that you included option with match and individual=
 IS=E2=80=99s, I think it would be preferable option not to break the match c=
onstruction.=20

Regarding the patterns, is there a way to declare and reuse the patterns? As=
sign it to a variable and use it as =E2=80=9Cis $pattern=E2=80=9D or somethi=
ng like that. Maybe as a separate class =E2=80=9C$pattern->match($var)=E2=80=
=9D.=20
While it=E2=80=99s not reusable it looks like it has a limited scope to use i=
t, otherwise regular replacements preferred.=20



--=20
Best regards,=20
Dmitrii Derepko.=20
@xepozz=