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Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2006 09:04:02 -0800
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Give the Language a Rest motion
From: pollita@php.net ("Sara Golemon")

> Apart from namespaces, I can't think of any other "syntactical core
> level feature" missing that could not be implemented as an extension.
>
Goto can't...

Well, okay fine.  It can, but at a significantly greater cost and 
complexity.  By that token namespaces can be done in an extension too (You 
just REALLY wouldn't like it).

> I'd like to raise a motion to 'Give the Language a Rest'.
>
I have to disagree.  Unicode support is a syntax level feature and that's 
the flagship feature of the PHP6 release.  Exceptions are a syntax level 
feature and that was one of the shining points of PHP5.  Perhaps what it's 
time for is recognizing that PHP is still an evolving language.

Many (most) of these interminable threads are pointless deadends, but that 
doesn't make the one good idea in there not worth discussing.  It also 
doesn't make the bad ideas not worth discussing because that's how you sort 
them out.

> Or should we, perhaps, invest more in other
> fronts, which would be beneficial for a far bigger
> audience.  The levels above - extensions to keep
> with the latest technologies, foundation classes, etc.
>
I couldn't agree more.  That's why operator is an extension and not a 
proposed engine patch.  However, while ZE does a commendable job at exposing 
its internals to manipulation there are some shortcomings.  For example: My 
request last month for a modified or split comparison opcode to distinguish 
greater-than from less-than.  You made some good points there about 
reconsidering how important it really was to know, and I do still plan to 
work those in, but this does serve as a good example of how the extension 
layer isn't _always_ enough.

The inability to inject tokens and expressions into the lexer and parser is 
another limitation on what can be done from extensions in terms of syntax 
level features.  Yes, I know this is more of a problem with bison and flex 
than with the design of ZE, but that doesn't make it any less bothersome.

-Sara