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Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:09:02 +0100
To: "Paul M. Jones" <pmjones@pmjones.io>
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
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In-Reply-To: <45C95FE8-B0FB-4A22-9460-477533527F41@pmjones.io>
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 <45C95FE8-B0FB-4A22-9460-477533527F41@pmjones.io>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Type Aliases
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From: rob@bottled.codes ("Rob Landers")

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On Wed, Dec 3, 2025, at 22:04, Paul M. Jones wrote:
> Hi Rob,
>=20
> (We've been using a lot of PHPStan type aliasing lately in the Star-In=
terop work, so this topic is timely.)
>=20
> Is there some possibility of making the aliases more classlike so they=
 can be autoloaded? A la:
>=20
> namespace Foo;
> type number { as int|float; }
>=20
> Then elsewhere:
>=20
> use Foo\number;
> function sum(number $a, number $b): number { return $a + $b; }
>=20
> Let me know if I've missed something fundamental.
>=20
>=20
> -- pmj

They fundamentally cannot be autoloaded because autoloading happens at r=
untime, not compile time. At least, with the current autoloader. Autoloa=
ding type aliases would need to have a fundamentally different type of a=
utoloading that doesn=E2=80=99t exist today.

=E2=80=94 Rob
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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title></title></head><body><div>On Wed, Dec =
3, 2025, at 22:04, Paul M. Jones wrote:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite" i=
d=3D"qt" style=3D""><div>Hi Rob,</div><div><br></div><div>(We've been us=
ing a lot of PHPStan type aliasing lately in the Star-Interop work, so t=
his topic is timely.)</div><div><br></div><div>Is there some possibility=
 of making the aliases more classlike so they can be autoloaded? A la:</=
div><div><br></div><div>namespace Foo;</div><div>type number { as int|fl=
oat; }</div><div><br></div><div>Then elsewhere:</div><div><br></div><div=
>use Foo\number;</div><div>function sum(number $a, number $b): number { =
return $a + $b; }</div><div><br></div><div>Let me know if I've missed so=
mething fundamental.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>-- pmj</div=
></blockquote><div><br></div><div>They fundamentally cannot be autoloade=
d because autoloading happens at runtime, not compile time. At least, wi=
th the current autoloader. Autoloading type aliases would need to have a=
 fundamentally different type of autoloading that doesn=E2=80=99t exist =
today.</div><div><br></div><div id=3D"sig121229152">=E2=80=94 Rob</div><=
/body></html>
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