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Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:30:33 -0700
Message-ID: <CALaXqqQ-J=_r4X2ENXehU6TDLBbgkuqPk=LguLLEdTYbwmsumQ@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: [PHP-DEV] Pre-RFC discussion about adding friendship to PHP
To: php internals <internals@lists.php.net>
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From: daniel.e.scherzer@gmail.com (Daniel Scherzer)

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Hi internals,

I'd like to add support for friendship in PHP. I don't mean friendship in
the PSR-8 huggable way, but rather in the C++ way of allowing access to
non-public parts of a class without needing to use Reflection.

I haven't started work on implementing this yet, but there is a big
question about how to indicate friendship that I wanted to get some
feedback on. Specifically, should it be added with a new keyword, or with
an attribute?

Keyword
* matches C++
* suggests that friends are aspects of the class, like properties and
constants and methods
* but would look a bit ugly if we added support for friends that are just
for specific properties/methods/constants

Attribute
* matches how other metadata is added to classes
* would make it look cleaner if subsequently support was added for
friendship being applied to specific properties/methods/constants
* would differ from the current builtin attributes in that it doesn't just
add/remove warnings, but changes some functionality

For a more in-depth explanation of the inspiration and these two potential
approaches, see https://scherzer.dev/Blog/20260309-php-friends. To be
clear, I have not yet written an implementation, much less the RFC, but I
wanted to get some initial feedback on if people would prefer a new
keyword, or an attribute, for declaring friends.

-Daniel

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hi internals,</div><div><br></div>I&#39;d like to add=
 support for friendship in PHP. I don&#39;t mean friendship in the PSR-8 hu=
ggable way, but rather in the C++ way of allowing access to non-public part=
s of a class without needing to use Reflection.<br><br>I haven&#39;t starte=
d work on implementing this yet, but there is a big question about how to i=
ndicate friendship that I wanted to get some feedback on. Specifically, sho=
uld it be added with a new keyword, or with an attribute?<br><br>Keyword<br=
>* matches C++<br>* suggests that friends are aspects of the class, like pr=
operties and constants and methods<br>* but would look a bit ugly if we add=
ed support for friends that are just for specific properties/methods/consta=
nts<br><br>Attribute<br>* matches how other metadata is added to classes<br=
>* would make it look cleaner if subsequently support was added for friends=
hip being applied to specific properties/methods/constants<br>* would diffe=
r from the current builtin attributes in that it doesn&#39;t just add/remov=
e warnings, but changes some functionality<br><br>For a more in-depth expla=
nation of the inspiration and these two potential approaches, see <a href=
=3D"https://scherzer.dev/Blog/20260309-php-friends">https://scherzer.dev/Bl=
og/20260309-php-friends</a>. To be clear, I have not yet written an impleme=
ntation, much less the RFC, but I wanted to get some initial feedback on if=
 people would prefer a new keyword, or an attribute, for declaring friends.=
<br><div><br></div><div>-Daniel</div></div>

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