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Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:37:56 -0300
Message-ID: <CAPbW5OOBW9QQg1r+U79n-9QAEt8rnVi1t0bGKjMhFV2iynjA=A@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [VOTE] let construct (Block Scoping)
To: "Rowan Tommins [IMSoP]" <imsop.php@rwec.co.uk>
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
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From: hwapx.dev@gmail.com (HwapX)

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On Thu, Jan 22, 2026, 12:12 Rowan Tommins [IMSoP] <imsop.php@rwec.co.uk>
wrote:

> On 22/01/2026 09:12, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > we just opened the vote on the =E2=80=9Clet construct (Block Scoping)=
=E2=80=9D RFC
> > (which was originally proposed as =E2=80=9Cuse construct=E2=80=9D, but =
the keyword
> > changed as a result of the discussion).
>
>
> I have voted No.
>
> I really want block scoping as a feature in PHP, but I do not want this
> syntax.
>
>
> For those who didn't follow the discussion thread, I will try to
> summarise my reasons:
>
> - I don't think PHP is special enough to break with a strong tradition
> here. A huge family of languages use roughly the same syntax for
> variable declarations, even though they have very different details of
> how they work. That includes C and Java, but also JS and Perl, and even
> VisualBasic (all ultimately traceable to ALGOL).
>
> - Users are likely to be coming from those related languages,
> particularly JS, and are likely to be confused by how this syntax works.
>
> - For instance, they would not expect a comma-separated list to be
> equivalent to a set of nested blocks, which affects the behaviour of
> cases like let($a=3Dnew Foo, $a=3Dnew Bar)
>
> - The use cases for combining with "if" or "foreach" are interesting,
> but the result is confusing - the important control flow keyword ends up
> in the middle of the line.
>
> - For other use cases, requiring an extra block adds noise. For
> instance, if we ever add auto-capture closures, a JS-style a concise
> block-scoped declaration would be very useful to avoid accidental capture=
.
>
>
> PHP itself already has "ALGOL-style" declarations, for "const",
> "global", and "static". I think adding a "let" or "var" keyword with the
> same syntax would be more consistent, and more useful.
>
> There would be details to work out, but dozens of other languages to
> learn from.
>
>
> My thanks to Seifeddine and Tim for their work on this, and to Tim in
> particular for patient and respectful discussion.
>
>
> --
> Rowan Tommins
> [IMSoP]
>


I agree, the proposed syntax and nested block hell are terrible!

The traditional syntax with implicit and invisible nested block are much
better, many languages and years of trusting proved that.

>

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<div dir=3D"auto"><div><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><di=
v dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu, Jan 22, 2026, 12:12 Rowan Tommin=
s [IMSoP] &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:imsop.php@rwec.co.uk">imsop.php@rwec.co.uk<=
/a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0=
 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">On 22/01/2026 09:12,=
 Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:<br>
&gt; Hi<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; we just opened the vote on the =E2=80=9Clet construct (Block Scoping)=
=E2=80=9D RFC <br>
&gt; (which was originally proposed as =E2=80=9Cuse construct=E2=80=9D, but=
 the keyword <br>
&gt; changed as a result of the discussion). <br>
<br>
<br>
I have voted No.<br>
<br>
I really want block scoping as a feature in PHP, but I do not want this <br=
>
syntax.<br>
<br>
<br>
For those who didn&#39;t follow the discussion thread, I will try to <br>
summarise my reasons:<br>
<br>
- I don&#39;t think PHP is special enough to break with a strong tradition =
<br>
here. A huge family of languages use roughly the same syntax for <br>
variable declarations, even though they have very different details of <br>
how they work. That includes C and Java, but also JS and Perl, and even <br=
>
VisualBasic (all ultimately traceable to ALGOL).<br>
<br>
- Users are likely to be coming from those related languages, <br>
particularly JS, and are likely to be confused by how this syntax works.<br=
>
<br>
- For instance, they would not expect a comma-separated list to be <br>
equivalent to a set of nested blocks, which affects the behaviour of <br>
cases like let($a=3Dnew Foo, $a=3Dnew Bar)<br>
<br>
- The use cases for combining with &quot;if&quot; or &quot;foreach&quot; ar=
e interesting, <br>
but the result is confusing - the important control flow keyword ends up <b=
r>
in the middle of the line.<br>
<br>
- For other use cases, requiring an extra block adds noise. For <br>
instance, if we ever add auto-capture closures, a JS-style a concise <br>
block-scoped declaration would be very useful to avoid accidental capture.<=
br>
<br>
<br>
PHP itself already has &quot;ALGOL-style&quot; declarations, for &quot;cons=
t&quot;, <br>
&quot;global&quot;, and &quot;static&quot;. I think adding a &quot;let&quot=
; or &quot;var&quot; keyword with the <br>
same syntax would be more consistent, and more useful.<br>
<br>
There would be details to work out, but dozens of other languages to <br>
learn from.<br>
<br>
<br>
My thanks to Seifeddine and Tim for their work on this, and to Tim in <br>
particular for patient and respectful discussion.<br>
<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Rowan Tommins<br>
[IMSoP]<br></blockquote></div></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D=
"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I agree, the proposed syntax and nested =
block hell are terrible!=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D=
"auto">The traditional syntax with implicit and invisible nested block are =
much better, many languages and years of trusting proved that.=C2=A0</div><=
div dir=3D"auto"><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><blockquo=
te class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc so=
lid;padding-left:1ex">
</blockquote></div></div></div>

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