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Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:36:00 -0600
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] enum SortDirection
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From: larry@garfieldtech.com ("Larry Garfield")

On Mon, Mar 2, 2026, at 4:14 PM, Derick Rethans wrote:
> On 2 March 2026 21:43:19 GMT, Bob Weinand <bobwei9@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>Hey Tim,
>>
>>On 2.3.2026 21:45:39, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:
>>> Hi
>>>=20
>>> please consider this email as a formal request for comments on my mo=
dest proposal of adding a new `enum SortDirection` to PHP=E2=80=99s stan=
dard library.
>>>=20
>>> I have made the full proposal available on the World Wide Web at:
>>>=20
>>> https://wiki.php.net/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 u=
sages at least.
>>
>>I'd recommend considering immediately upgrading the proposed functions=
 to use SortDirection and redefine the constants in terms of the enum.
>>
>>I.e. set const SORT_ASC =3D SortDirection::Ascending; - similar for ot=
hers like the SCANDIR_SORT_DESCENDING etc..
>>
>>This is a reasonable BC break, which is also trivially fixed by simply=
 accepting int|SortDirection in existing functions.
>
>
>
> If its a BC break, it can't go into a 8.=C3=97 for something that isn'=
t *necessary*.
>
> But I also don't see how accepting both int and this new enum for=20
> existing built-in functions is a BC break.
>
> Changing the existing constants to something else is probably not a=20
> good idea, as other user functions or libraries might have reused them=
.=20
>
> cheers
> Derick

I concur.  I'd like to see the functions updated now in the RFC, so we g=
et a sense of how many functions will be impacted.  Not because I'm conc=
erned about a widened type breaking anything, but more so readers can se=
e the value this brings.

The Yii DB layer (at least in v2, I haven't used v3 yet) used SORT_ASC/S=
ORT_DESC for itself, so I agree that redefining those is unwise.

Nit: Should we use Asc and Desc, for more compact code?  Enums are great=
, but they can get verbose at times. :-)  (SortDirection::Descending is =
25 characters long, for what is ultimately a named boolean.)

On the whole, though, I'm in favor. =20

--Larry Garfield