Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:129502
Feedback-ID: ifab94697:Fastmail
Precedence: list
MIME-Version: 1.0
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:51:28 +0100
To: internals@lists.php.net
Message-ID: <9af704c9-00f0-4916-82e2-0b3cafbc390f@app.fastmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <e25ea0a6-bb82-4762-9e51-a543d0e6efe5@app.fastmail.com>
References: <e25ea0a6-bb82-4762-9e51-a543d0e6efe5@app.fastmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Pattern Matching
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
 boundary=67c13d50128142caa46601ddb5f96665
From: rob@bottled.codes ("Rob Landers")

--67c13d50128142caa46601ddb5f96665
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

On Mon, Dec 1, 2025, at 22:36, Larry Garfield wrote:
> Hi folks.  Ilija and I would like to present our latest RFC endeavor, =
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 ha=
d this one in-progress for 5 years. :-)  (Though it was inactive for man=
y of those years, in fairness.)  Pattern matching was intended as the ne=
xt follow up to Enums, as it's a stepping stone toward full ADT support.=
  However, we also feel it has enormous benefit on its own for simplifyi=
ng complex comparisons.
>=20
> This RFC has been through numerous iterations, including a full implem=
entation rewrite just recently that made a number of features much easie=
r.  We have therefore included two patterns that were previously slated =
for later inclusion but turned out to be trivially easy in the new appro=
ach.  (Variable pinning and numeric comparison.)
>=20
> Nonetheless, there are two outstanding questions on which we are looki=
ng for feedback.
>=20
> Naturally given the timing, we will not be calling a vote until at lea=
st late January, regardless of how the discussion goes.  So, plenty of t=
ime to express your support. :-)
>=20
> --=20
>   Larry Garfield
>   larry@garfieldtech.com

One thing I didn't see covered: accessing static variables in a class:

class Point {
  public static $origin =3D new Point(0,0,0);
}

How do we pattern match to this? Is it the obvious Point::$origin? Same =
with class constants?

=E2=80=94 Rob
--67c13d50128142caa46601ddb5f96665
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title></title></head><body><div>On Mon, Dec =
1, 2025, at 22:36, Larry Garfield wrote:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite" =
id=3D"qt" style=3D""><div>Hi folks.&nbsp; Ilija and I would like to pres=
ent our latest RFC endeavor, pattern matching:</div><div><br></div><div>=
<a href=3D"https://wiki.php.net/rfc/pattern-matching">https://wiki.php.n=
et/rfc/pattern-matching</a></div><div><br></div><div>You may note the da=
te on the RFC is from 2020.&nbsp; Yes, we really have had this one in-pr=
ogress for 5 years. :-)&nbsp; (Though it was inactive for many of those =
years, in fairness.)&nbsp; Pattern matching was intended as the next fol=
low up to Enums, as it's a stepping stone toward full ADT support.&nbsp;=
 However, we also feel it has enormous benefit on its own for simplifyin=
g complex comparisons.</div><div><br></div><div>This RFC has been throug=
h numerous iterations, including a full implementation rewrite just rece=
ntly that made a number of features much easier.&nbsp; We have therefore=
 included two patterns that were previously slated for later inclusion b=
ut turned out to be trivially easy in the new approach.&nbsp; (Variable =
pinning and numeric comparison.)</div><div><br></div><div>Nonetheless, t=
here are two outstanding questions on which we are looking for feedback.=
</div><div><br></div><div>Naturally given the timing, we will not be cal=
ling a vote until at least late January, regardless of how the discussio=
n goes.&nbsp; So, plenty of time to express your support. :-)</div><div>=
<br></div><div>--&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp; Larry Garfield</div><div>&nbsp;=
&nbsp;<a href=3D"mailto:larry@garfieldtech.com">larry@garfieldtech.com</=
a></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>One thing I didn't see covered:=
 accessing static variables in a class:</div><div><br></div><div>class P=
oint {</div><div>&nbsp; public static $origin =3D new Point(0,0,0);</div=
><div>}</div><div><br></div><div>How do we pattern match to this? Is it =
the obvious Point::$origin? Same with class constants?</div><div><br></d=
iv><div id=3D"sig121229152">=E2=80=94 Rob</div></body></html>
--67c13d50128142caa46601ddb5f96665--