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Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:04:57 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] [Discussion] Query Parameter Manipulation Support
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From: tim@bastelstu.be (=?UTF-8?Q?Tim_D=C3=BCsterhus?=)

Hi

On 3/9/26 21:47, Máté Kocsis wrote:
> Same situation as above, but basically the whole section is a big question
> mark:
> I couldn't come up with a good enough idea how arrays could be handled
> efficiently and ergonomically, and in the same time, how to (mostly) conform
> to WHATWG URL.

The internal storage should not know about arrays. It should represent 
things as a list of key-value pairs, with arrays only being materialized 
for the methods that are intended to deal with arrays.

Given that the class is generic, matching the WHATWG API 1:1 is not 
necessary in my opinion.

> Some of my problems:
> - How should $params->get("foo[bar]") behave? Should we try to parse the
> supplied key as an array and return the
> nested item if it exists? I suppose, we would internally store the query
> params as an array (just like how $_GET does),
> so then we would definitely need parsing in order to be able to return item
> "bar" stored within array "foo".

`->get()` does not currently exist within the RFC. The WHATWG `get()` is 
equivalent to `->getFirst()`.

> - However, what should a $params->append("foo[bar]") call do when the query
> param "foo" is already added with a string value?
> Should it modify the existing item to be an array (but then how?) or we
> should just add "foo[bar]" to the query params as-is?

It should add `foo[bar]` as-is. `foo` and `foo[bar]` are different keys. 
The square-bracket syntax is something that is specific to PHP.

> - How to recompose list parameters? Ideally, we should not append [] to
> these parameters (e.g.

The recomposition should be "dumb" and just use the keys as-is. The 
complex logic should happen in the getter or setter. Only the 'array' 
getters and setters deal with the PHP-specific square-bracket syntax.

To give an example:

     "k=1&k=2"
     [['k', '1'], ['k', '2']]
     getAll('k')   // ['1', '2']
     getArray('k') // UriException: 'k' is not an array.

     "k[]=1&k[]=2"
     [['k[]', '1'], ['k[]', '2']]
     getAll('k')   // []
     getAll('k[]') // ['1', '2']
     getArray('k') // ['1', '2']

     "k[a]=1&k[b]=2"
     [['k[a]', '1'], ['k[b]', '2']]
     getAll('k')    // []
     getAll('k[a]') // ['1']
     getArray('k')  // ['a' => '1', 'b' => '2']

     "k=1&k[]=2"
     [['k', '1'], ['k[]', '2']]
     getAll('k')   // ['1']
     getAll('k[]') // ['2']
     getArray('k') // UriException: 'k' is not an array.

     "k[]=2&k=3";
     [['k[]', '2'], ['k', '3']];
     getAll('k')   // ['3']
     getAll('k[]') // ['2']
     getArray('k') // UriException: 'k' is not an array.

The string should internally be represented something like the arrays 
and the getters should work as indicated in the comment.

And then for the setters:

     // []
     append('k', '1')   // [['k', '1']]
     append('k', '2')   // [['k', '1'], ['k', '2']]
     append('k[]', '3') // [['k', '1'], ['k', '2'], ['k[]', '3']]
     set('k', '4')      // [['k[]', '3'], ['k', '4']]

The `setArray()` method would then create a number of entries with 
square brackets added as appropriate (and delete all entries that would 
be returned by `getArray()`). The `appendArray()` method should probably 
be dropped to avoid issues with "mixing non-array with array keys". So:

     // []
     setArray('k', ['1'])             // [['k[]', '1']]
     setArray('k', ['1', '2'])        // [['k[]', '1'], ['k[]', '2']]
     setArray('k', ['a' => '1', '2']) // [['k[a]', '1'], ['k[0]', '2']]
     append('k', 'x')                 // [
                                      //  ['k[a]', '1'],
                                      //  ['k[0]', '2'],
                                      //  ['k', 'x'],
                                      // ]
     setArray('k', ['1'])             // [['k[]', '1']]

Does that make sense?

Best regards
Tim Düsterhus