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Cc: Marcus Boerger <helly@php.net>,
 Robert Cummings <robert@interjinn.com>,
 internals@lists.php.net
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Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:54:51 -0400
To: Lukas Kahwe Smith <mls@pooteeweet.org>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [PATCH] array_get()
From: andrew@ashearer.com (Andrew Shearer)

On Sep 12, 2007, at 2:25 PM, Lukas Kahwe Smith wrote:

> Andrew Shearer wrote:
>
>> Meanwhile, array_get() provides the most-needed functionality  
>> while avoiding
>> the issues that prevented ifsetor's acceptance.
>
> Aside from lack of BC hacks what is the issue? I remember some  
> fussing about the name, but I find this a joke of an argument. You  
> cant get much clearer a name than ifsetor().
>
>> There's a backward compatibility problem with ifsetor: its special  
>> syntax
>> means that there's no way to write a pure-PHP userland version of  
>> it. The
>> effect is that there's no upgrade path for applications that have to
>> straddle both old and new versions of PHP, and practical  
>> usefulness of
>> ifsetor would be delayed for years after release.
>
>
> I use ifsetor() type functionality on a daily basis. As such I  
> would appreciate it if it would be an operator and would make its  
> way not only into php 6, but also php 5.3.
>
> Marcus's half solution is not a solution to what I need. Andrew's  
> solution gets close enough to solve my real world needs. Now if I  
> could just see the slightest bit if a real argument against ifsetor 
> (), I might even vote for array_get() (not sure if I appreciate the  
> name though).
>
> regards,
> Lukas

I think we want the same thing. We both want the essential  
functionality in PHP one way or another. If ifsetor was in the  
running now, I'd support it. But after seeing the discussion and lack  
of consensus on it since 2004, I'm sure that the best way to reach  
the goal is to champion array_get().

Other suggestions for the name are welcome, but the choice of it was  
careful. array_get() has at least one precendent, the Python dict.get 
() method, which works basically the same way. The fact that the same  
name and function signature (give or take a reference) was also  
suggested completely independently in a PHP wishlist item means it's  
probably on the right track.

--
Andrew Shearer
http://ashearer.com/