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Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:06:53 +0100
Message-ID: <CABdc3WqHOEHGMhqOVqmfHZJ8RojnrVcwzcbnR+jUQi+YpnSD-g@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [VOTE] Allow Reassignment of Promoted Readonly
 Properties in Constructor
To: Nicolas Grekas <nicolas.grekas+php@gmail.com>
Cc: PHP Internals List <internals@lists.php.net>
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From: michal.brzuchalski@gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Micha=C5=82_Marcin_Brzuchalski?=)

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Hi,

I also voted =E2=80=9Cno=E2=80=9D, for essentially the same reason as Ilija=
.

To me, this is the wrong use case for readonly. If a property is expected
to change during construction, then initializing it as readonly and later
reassigning it feels like it weakens the semantics instead of clarifying
them.

One of the main values of readonly is that it communicates a very simple
rule: once initialized, the property does not change. Introducing
exceptions around constructor promotion makes that model harder to reason
about, while the language already has alternatives for cases where
controlled local mutability is needed.

So while I understand the motivation behind the RFC, I think this moves
readonly further toward special-case behavior, when it would be better to
keep it strict and predictable.

Kind regards,
--
Micha=C5=82 Marcin Brzuchalski

pon., 23 mar 2026 o 16:40 Nicolas Grekas <nicolas.grekas+php@gmail.com>
napisa=C5=82(a):

> Dear internals,
>
> It's now time to open the vote for the following RFC:
> https://wiki.php.net/rfc/promoted_readonly_constructor_reassign
>
> The vote will close on 2026-04-07 at 16:00 UTC.
>
> Cheers,
> Nicolas
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi,<br><br>I also voted =E2=80=9Cno=E2=80=9D, for essentia=
lly the same reason as Ilija.<br><br>To me, this is the wrong use case for =
readonly. If a property is expected to change during construction, then ini=
tializing it as readonly and later reassigning it feels like it weakens the=
 semantics instead of clarifying them.<br><br>One of the main values of rea=
donly is that it communicates a very simple rule: once initialized, the pro=
perty does not change. Introducing exceptions around constructor promotion =
makes that model harder to reason about, while the language already has alt=
ernatives for cases where controlled local mutability is needed.<br><br>So =
while I understand the motivation behind the RFC, I think this moves readon=
ly further toward special-case behavior, when it would be better to keep it=
 strict and predictable.<br><br>Kind regards,<div>--<br><div>Micha=C5=82 Ma=
rcin Brzuchalski</div></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote=
_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">pon., 23 mar 2026 o 16:40=
=C2=A0Nicolas Grekas &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:nicolas.grekas%2Bphp@gmail.com">=
nicolas.grekas+php@gmail.com</a>&gt; napisa=C5=82(a):<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px sol=
id rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div style=3D"margin=
:0px;min-width:0px;padding:0px 0px 20px;width:auto;font-family:&quot;Google=
 Sans&quot;,Roboto,RobotoDraft,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:medium"=
><div><div id=3D"m_4575673615867260474gmail-:4cj" style=3D"direction:ltr;ma=
rgin:8px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:0.875rem;overflow-x:hidden"><div id=
=3D"m_4575673615867260474gmail-:4ck" style=3D"direction:ltr;font-variant-nu=
meric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;=
font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-s=
tretch:normal;font-size:small;line-height:1.5;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,s=
ans-serif;overflow:auto hidden"><div id=3D"m_4575673615867260474gmail-avWBG=
d-10137"><div dir=3D"ltr">Dear internals,<div><br></div><div>It&#39;s now t=
ime to open the vote for the following RFC:</div><div><a href=3D"https://wi=
ki.php.net/rfc/promoted_readonly_constructor_reassign" target=3D"_blank">ht=
tps://wiki.php.net/rfc/promoted_readonly_constructor_reassign</a></div><div=
><br></div><div>The vote will close on 2026-04-07 at 16:00 UTC.<br></div><d=
iv><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Nicolas</div></div></div></div></div></=
div></div></div>
</blockquote></div>

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