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Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:55:42 -0500
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] enum SortDirection
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From: larry@garfieldtech.com ("Larry Garfield")

On Mon, Mar 16, 2026, at 10:48 AM, Tim D=C3=BCsterhus wrote:
> Hi
>
> Am 2026-03-13 19:11, schrieb Larry Garfield:
>> Otherwise, there's no real advantage to putting it in core rather tha=
n=20
>> FIG.  The reason to put it in core is so it can be used in core.  So=20
>> let's use it in core, even if not the full scope of eventual usage.
>
> I believe the RFC is sufficiently clear in how the enum can be useful=20
> for the PHP stdlib, listing some examples as future scope. And even if=20
> there would not (yet) be anything in the stdlib that could make use of=20
> it, I believe that asking users to install third party libraries with=20
> vendor-namespaces for a *data type* that is so broadly useful that it=20
> will likely be (transitively) required by every major framework is=20
> providing a good developer experience.
>
> Best regards
> Tim D=C3=BCsterhus

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that FIG would be a better place for it.=
  I am only saying that "let's add this... and then maybe later we'll ge=
t around to quietly using it without another RFC" is a poor message and =
poor expectation setting.  When will I be able to use it for core functi=
ons?  Which functions?  How will I even know?  What's the plan here othe=
r than "we can do that later quietly without telling anyone" (because va=
nishingly few PHP devs look at Internals PRs that have no RFC)?  That's =
what is missing.

--Larry Garfield