Newsgroups: php.internals
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Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:40:28 +0100
To: internals@lists.php.net, Mirco Babin <mirco.babin@gmail.com>,
 "Rowan Tommins [IMSoP]" <imsop.php@rwec.co.uk>
Subject: =?US-ASCII?Q?Re=3A_=5BPHP-DEV=5D_=5BIDEA_for_RF?=
 =?US-ASCII?Q?C=5D_let_the_=22new=22_operator_?=
 =?US-ASCII?Q?fail_when_the_=5F=5Fconstruct=28?=
 =?US-ASCII?Q?=29_function_returns_a_value=2E?=
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From: marc@mabe.berlin ("Marc B.")

Hi Mirco,

Am 17=2E Februar 2026 07:59:43 MEZ schrieb Mirco Babin <mirco=2Ebabin@gmai=
l=2Ecom>:
>>Hi Mirco, and welcome!
>>
>>I agree that allowing constructors to return a value leads to confusion,
>>and would support deprecating and then forbidding this=2E
>>
>>However, I agree with others that this should be checked when compiling
>>the constructor, not when running it under the "new" operator=2E In othe=
r
>>words, make any method named "__construct" give >the same error as a
>>function or method marked ": void"=2E
>
>Hello Rowan Tommins,
>
>I disagree with the compiling part=2E The __construct() function can
>currently not have a return type, so the return type is implicitly
>"mixed"=2E Changing that would be a BC break for those calling the
>__construct() function as a regular function=2E
>
>As written to Tim D=C3=BCsterhus: I have prepared a RFC at
>https://gist=2Egithub=2Ecom/MircoBabin/aaa574297c8d1baa879f19c99ce28e93

I'm with Roman here as well=2E
Yes, it's a BC break, but as Roman suggested, there would be a deprecation=
 phase before and forbidden only in PHP 9=2E This should give enough time t=
o adopt=2E

Also, you are talking about the constructor only, which is ok, but I belie=
ve the destructor needs to be discussed as well and mentioned in the RFC=2E


>
>Kind regards,
>Mirco Babin

Regards,
Marc