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Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 14:52:53 -0700
Message-ID: <698DE66518E7CA45812BD18E807866CEA2AB2C@us-ex1.zend.net>
Thread-Topic: [PHP-DEV] Patch for macros for tracking refcount and is_ref
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References: <ee59b7580709040724y23427c4bq2f6cd3b2ee409276@mail.gmail.com> <ee59b7580709040938t6bde9dd4na121b9a7b5cb3599@mail.gmail.com> <849426349.20070904210047@marcus-boerger.de> <ee59b7580709041919s2dbacb69pda3cfa6517f7e2d3@mail.gmail.com> <ee59b7580709052246k13275370w6043ae3db4e879e@mail.gmail.com> <698DE66518E7CA45812BD18E807866CEA2A93C@us-ex1.zend.net> <alpine.DEB.0.98.0709070907550.20254@kossu.ez.no> <7d5a202f0709070106r5cc0cbb0n2d58d6f8a4e1c9a3@mail.gmail.com> <ee59b7580709070838w3bdfe06er55c78e9d7f1fb907@mail.gmail.com> <698DE66518E7CA45812BD18E807866CEA2AAA3@us-ex1.zend.net> <ee59b7580709071207j2f2c0037x9bc532fb9eb9937b@mail.gmail.com>
To: "David Wang" <planetbeing@gmail.com>
Cc: "Cristian Rodriguez" <judas.iscariote@gmail.com>,
	<internals@lists.php.net>
Subject: RE: [PHP-DEV] Patch for macros for tracking refcount and is_ref
From: andi@zend.com ("Andi Gutmans")

As far as I'm concerned you can commit it with ZEND_GC. If you don't
have karma let me know and we'll commit it.

Thanks!
Andi

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Wang [mailto:planetbeing@gmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 12:07 PM
> To: Andi Gutmans
> Cc: Cristian Rodriguez; internals@lists.php.net
> Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Patch for macros for tracking refcount and
> is_ref
>=20
> Here's my analysis of what the options are:
>=20
> In my mind, the macros patch is actually unrelated to the GC patch. It
> is a Good Idea (tm) to use macros to manipulate refcounts no matter if
> the GC is enabled, disabled, present in the source, or not added at
> all. The only question is whether to break source compatibility just
> for the sake of the aesthetics and cleanness of using macros to
> manipulate refcounts.
>=20
> If one accepts that PHP should and will use macros to manipulate
> refcounts in the future no matter what happens, then it's only a
> question of when to break source compatibility. The choice is either
> right now, or (if the GC is added) when the GC is added, or (if the GC
> is not added) at some undefined point in the future.
>=20
> Breaking it now instead of later might save some more work in the
> future, because new refcount manipulations might be added that will
> also have to be changed later. However, breaking it now without adding
> a new feature (GC) might seem rather arbitrary to developers of PECL
> extensions. Breaking it when GC is added might be an easier pill to
> swallow.
>=20
> It's probably also true that the work saved if we break source
> compatibility early is not extremely significant: Replacing two
> "z->refcount++"s in your code is about as much work as just replacing
> one. It may also be true that the addition of GC might require the
> source of some extensions that do heavy refcount manipulation to be
> looked at at that point anyway (don't worry! I think this is actually
> VERY unlikely, but nevertheless possible) so it might be more
> efficient to break source compatibility at the point where the GC is
> officially added.
>=20
> In consideration of those points, and in the interest of moving things
> along I am in favor of going with the version with ZEND_GC, but
> removing that option when the GC is integrated in some form or
> another. Deferring the source compatibility break is not very
> expensive in any case.
>=20
> David