Newsgroups: php.internals
Path: news.php.net
Xref: news.php.net php.internals:34426
Mailing-List: contact internals-help@lists.php.net; run by ezmlm
Received-SPF: error (pb1.pair.com: domain interjinn.com from 66.11.173.122 cause and error)
To: Sam Barrow <sam@sambarrow.com>
Cc: Pierre <pierre.php@gmail.com>, Marcus Boerger <helly@php.net>, Gregory Beaver <greg@chiaraquartet.net>, Alain Williams <addw@phcomp.co.uk>, internals Mailing List <internals@lists.php.net>
In-Reply-To: <1199468484.15292.156.camel@sbarrow-desktop>
References: <477DB7BF.10201@chiaraquartet.net>
	 <20080104105558.GC7861@mint.phcomp.co.uk>
	 <477E5649.2080104@chiaraquartet.net>
	 <fe05d1540801040853q1b053a04gf4ad028e19a84e4d@mail.gmail.com>
	 <fe05d1540801040853w20c9f054i2e697764761431c9@mail.gmail.com>
	 <1463438959.20080104182050@marcus-boerger.de>
	 <fe05d1540801040923m16c616bcge29ea73f931d2072@mail.gmail.com>
	 <1199468241.6629.53.camel@blobule>
	 <1199468484.15292.156.camel@sbarrow-desktop>
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Organization: InterJinn
Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:48:28 -0500
Message-ID: <1199468908.6629.58.camel@blobule>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] type hinting
From: robert@interjinn.com (Robert Cummings)

On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 12:41 -0500, Sam Barrow wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 12:37 -0500, Robert Cummings wrote:
> > On Fri, 2008-01-04 at 18:23 +0100, Pierre wrote:
> > > On Jan 4, 2008 6:20 PM, Marcus Boerger <helly@php.net> wrote:
> > > > Hello Pierre,
> > > >
> > > >   we never accepted this as a pro argument. Infact we often saw the
> > > > necessaity to highlight something is optional to vote against it. We do this
> > > > for a reason. That is we only want to support mainstream features.
> > > 
> > > My point of view is that this feature should be a mainstream feature.
> > > To make it optional was to lower the issues for those who don't care
> > > about argument strictness. We did not give them this choice for the OO
> > > strictness.
> > 
> > IMHO, optionally inclusion of type hinting for functions/methods can
> > only be a boon to code quality and readability. IMHO when a type hint is
> > provided and a parameter doesn't match the type hint then I think a
> > fatal error should occur. This forces the user of the function that has
> > type hinting to ensure their data is of the correct type. This prevents
> > accidental wrong data conversion. However, I see the other side of the
> > coin too where automatic type conversion could be desirable also.
> > Perhaps a mixed solution would be viable?
> > 
> 
> I don't think conversion would make sense here, as PHP will
> automatically convert the variable before you use it anyway. Hinting
> will prevent mistakes, conversion will just try to ignore them, which is
> what PHP does already.

I think that depends on what I do with the variable. PHP doesn't know
how I intend to use it, and if I know I want an int and I don't want to
test for browserland garbage in my variable everytime the function is
called, then an automatic type conversion to int for my function can
make perfect sense. Yes, I could force the developer using my function
to cast the parameter as an int, but I'm certain conversion in the
engine without a userland cast is faster, and it makes it more
convenient to the consumer of my function since they can still treat it
like a classic function.

Cheers,
Rob.
-- 
...........................................................
SwarmBuy.com - http://www.swarmbuy.com

    Leveraging the buying power of the masses!
...........................................................