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Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:47:57 -0600
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To: Stanislav Malyshev <stas@zend.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Renaming namespaces to packages
From: sfl@scotfl.ca (scott lewis)

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On 17 Aug 2007, at 1146, Stanislav Malyshev wrote:

>> Again, you are trying to use a keyword based on what developer's most
>> know. You want to release a sort of namespace implementation and
>> frustrate users, that expect a true namespace implementation.
>
> Please stop doing this. PHP namespace implementation is as "true"  
> as it gets, even in current form (which of course might be changed,  
> extended, etc. but it doesn't make it less true).

I think you've missed his point. He's not talking about the abstract  
concept of namespaces. He's talking about specific language features  
accessed via the keyword 'namespace'.

The core of the argument to rename is that using the keyword  
'namespace' will confuse developers who have experience with that  
keyword in other languages, since PHP does not match the most common  
syntax (C++). This is completely separate from whether the PHP  
language feature is a good implementation of the abstract namespace  
concept. The keyword does not define the feature -- the keyword  
defines _expectations_ about the keyword.


PHP is getting a namespaces feature -- this is excellent. Giving it  
the same keyword as a syntax-incompatible feature of other languages  
is going to cause confusion -- that's bad.


Now, the keyword 'package' has similar problems, but to a much  
smaller degree since the syntax of the PHP language feature is  
similar to that of the Java feature. Still, any confusion is best  
avoided so 'package' should probably join 'namespace' on the pile of  
rejected keywords.

'prefix', as suggested in the other thread, seems to nicely describe  
the concept and would still describe the concept if the feature was  
extended out to full-on C++- or Java-style syntax. And I can't think  
of any languages with a confusingly similar keyword.

scott.

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