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Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:01:27 +0000
To: internals@lists.php.net
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] [Discussion] Stringable Enums
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From: imsop.php@rwec.co.uk ("Rowan Tommins [IMSoP]")

On 4 December 2025 04:50:57 GMT, Daniel Scherzer <daniel=2Ee=2Escherzer@gma=
il=2Ecom> wrote:
>Hi internals,
>
>I'd like to start the discussion for a new RFC about removing the
>prohibition on `__toString()` methods on enums=2E
>
>* RFC: https://wiki=2Ephp=2Enet/rfc/stringable-enums
>* Implementation: https://github=2Ecom/php/php-src/pull/20415

My first instinct was that this was dragging up a discussion we've had lot=
s of times, but your examples make clear that you are *not* just talking ab=
out converting enums to their backing value=2E=20

On the other hand, that does make me wonder: in what way is (string)$foo c=
learer than $foo->toString() for those use cases? In my experience, it just=
 makes the functionality less discoverable - people don't think to try (str=
ing)$exception or (string)$simpleXmlNode, so miss that those have specific =
behaviour=2E

And is it even a good name for those methods? In the date-time package, fo=
r instance, it would be better named toEnglishName() or getFullEnglishName(=
), as its docblock explicitly says=2E In the framework code, it seems to be=
 used for a property called $displayValue, so the obvious name for the meth=
od would be getDisplayValue()=2E

Regards,

Rowan Tommins
[IMSoP]