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Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:14:58 +0000
To: Bob Weinand <bobwei9@hotmail.com>
CC: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Tim_D=FCsterhus?= <tim@bastelstu.be>,
 PHP internals <internals@lists.php.net>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] enum SortDirection
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From: derick@php.net (Derick Rethans)

On 2 March 2026 21:43:19 GMT, Bob Weinand <bobwei9@hotmail=2Ecom> wrote:
>Hey Tim,
>
>On 2=2E3=2E2026 21:45:39, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:
>> Hi
>>=20
>> please consider this email as a formal request for comments on my modes=
t proposal of adding a new `enum SortDirection` to PHP=E2=80=99s standard l=
ibrary=2E
>>=20
>> I have made the full proposal available on the World Wide Web at:
>>=20
>> https://wiki=2Ephp=2Enet/rfc/sort_direction_enum
>>=20
>> Yours sincerely
>> Tim D=C3=BCsterhus
>
>
>That's a good idea, but I wouldn't introduce such class without some usag=
es at least=2E
>
>I'd recommend considering immediately upgrading the proposed functions to=
 use SortDirection and redefine the constants in terms of the enum=2E
>
>I=2Ee=2E set const SORT_ASC =3D SortDirection::Ascending; - similar for o=
thers like the SCANDIR_SORT_DESCENDING etc=2E=2E
>
>This is a reasonable BC break, which is also trivially fixed by simply ac=
cepting int|SortDirection in existing functions=2E



If its a BC break, it can't go into a 8=2E=C3=97 for something that isn't =
*necessary*=2E

But I also don't see how accepting both int and this new enum for existing=
 built-in functions is a BC break=2E

Changing the existing constants to something else is probably not a good i=
dea, as other user functions or libraries might have reused them=2E=20

cheers
Derick