Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:130788
Precedence: list
MIME-Version: 1.0
References: <CALaXqqS+rGe3eELhmK684D1bdMdJdR9u4pJnT1ctZBzpgvnkaw@mail.gmail.com>
 <BA9E1314-ACFB-4AFC-8897-8EA3CF9B46E2@php.net>
In-Reply-To: <BA9E1314-ACFB-4AFC-8897-8EA3CF9B46E2@php.net>
Date: Wed, 6 May 2026 14:32:43 -0700
Message-ID: <CALaXqqQbzM0VU1wrRtYNf5XsT07w50Bm_LZF_1zTHWUw-KwbLg@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] [Discussion] Add ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent()
To: Derick Rethans <derick@php.net>
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000006157e006512ce931"
From: daniel.e.scherzer@gmail.com (Daniel Scherzer)

--0000000000006157e006512ce931
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

On Mon, May 4, 2026 at 2:13=E2=80=AFPM Derick Rethans <derick@php.net> wrot=
e:

> On 4 May 2026 21:24:39 BST, Daniel Scherzer <daniel.e.scherzer@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >Hi internals,
> >
> >I'd like to start the discussion for a new RFC about adding a new method=
,
> >ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), to access the current reflection targ=
et
> >of an attribute.
> >
> >* RFC: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/reflectionattribute-getcurrent
>
>
> "a new static method, ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), that, when calle=
d
> from an attribute constructor, returns a reflection object corresponding =
to
> what the attribute was applied to."
>
> This sounds like an arbitrary new rule for just this functionality. I
> don't think we should have special rules for a single static method call.
>
> I believe it's useful to have something like this, but I'm not in favour
> of this approach.
>
> Would it not be possible for this to be a normal (dynamic) method on the
> ReflectionAttrbute object?
>
> cheers
> Derick


In order to reduce the scope of the weird new method, I have updated the
RFC to split it up:

* ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), when called from an attribute
constructor, returns a *ReflectionAttribute* matching the usage (replacing
the currently-possible hacking with backtraces)
* ReflectionAttribute::getReflectionTarget() is a normal (dynamic) method
returning the ReflectionAttributeTarget

These are expected to be used together in the constructors of attributes,
e.g. `ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent()->getReflectionTarget()`, but the
normal getReflectionTarget() method is also useful and usable elsewhere.

-Daniel

--0000000000006157e006512ce931
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">On Mon, May 4, 2026 at 2:13=E2=80=AFPM De=
rick Rethans &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:derick@php.net">derick@php.net</a>&gt; w=
rote:</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><blockquote cla=
ss=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">On 4 May 2026 21:24:39 BST, Daniel Scher=
zer &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:daniel.e.scherzer@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">da=
niel.e.scherzer@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br>
&gt;Hi internals,<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;I&#39;d like to start the discussion for a new RFC about adding a new m=
ethod,<br>
&gt;ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), to access the current reflection tar=
get<br>
&gt;of an attribute.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;* RFC: <a href=3D"https://wiki.php.net/rfc/reflectionattribute-getcurre=
nt" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://wiki.php.net/rfc/reflectio=
nattribute-getcurrent</a><br>
<br>
<br>
&quot;a new static method, ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), that, when ca=
lled from an attribute constructor, returns a reflection object correspondi=
ng to what the attribute was applied to.&quot;<br>
<br>
This sounds like an arbitrary new rule for just this functionality. I don&#=
39;t think we should have special rules for a single static method call.<br=
>
<br>
I believe it&#39;s useful to have something like this, but I&#39;m not in f=
avour of this approach.<br>
<br>
Would it not be possible for this to be a normal (dynamic) method on the Re=
flectionAttrbute object?<br>
<br>
cheers<br>
Derick</blockquote><div><br></div><div>In order to reduce the scope of the =
weird new method, I have updated the RFC to split it up:</div><div><br></di=
v><div>* ReflectionAttribute::getCurrent(), when called from an attribute c=
onstructor, returns a *ReflectionAttribute* matching the usage (replacing t=
he currently-possible hacking with backtraces)</div><div>* ReflectionAttrib=
ute::getReflectionTarget() is a normal (dynamic) method returning the Refle=
ctionAttributeTarget</div><div><br></div><div>These are expected to be used=
 together in the constructors of attributes, e.g. `ReflectionAttribute::get=
Current()-&gt;getReflectionTarget()`, but the normal getReflectionTarget() =
method is also useful and usable elsewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>-Danie=
l=C2=A0</div></div></div>

--0000000000006157e006512ce931--