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Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:33:25 -0500
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Message-ID: <200709100033.25943.larry@garfieldtech.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] PHP 5.3 Suggested Feature List
From: larry@garfieldtech.com (Larry Garfield)

On Monday 10 September 2007, Lester Caine wrote:
> Scott MacVicar wrote:
> >> 6) Remove safe_mode, register_globals and magic_quotes
> >>
> >> 1        0        -1
> >
> > +1, The sooner we get rid of this the better, though I could see things
> > going wrong if its not properly documented for everyone. I'd perhaps not
> > remove the functions such as get_magic_quotes_gpc and the likes and just
> > have them acting like they are disabled. This would prevent bc breaks
> > for most applications.
>
> Don't forget that the majority of users have yet to move FROM PHP4. So
> making things even more difficult to port over is not a good idea.
> I have two legacy sections of code that I STILL have not worked out what is
> stopping me switching off register_globals - code that I inherited from
> others.

The correct time to break BC is PHP 6.  Shared hosts, what most PHP code ends 
up running on, are very conservative by nature.  They won't upgrade to 
something that has any chance of breaking their customers' code unless they 
really have to.  That means the best way to encourage adoption of new PHP 
versions is to save up BC breaks and do them all at once, so that there's 
only one "speed bump" to get over instead of several.  Such big-BC-breaks are 
known in most circles as "major versions". :-)

However, those settings seem like a text-book case where E_DEPRECATED would be 
desirable, as it gives everyone explicit fair warning that those mis-features 
are going away soon.  That should help PHP 6 adoption in the long run rather 
than hinder it.

-- 
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
larry@garfieldtech.com		ICQ: 6817012

"If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of 
exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, 
which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to 
himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession 
of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it."  -- Thomas 
Jefferson