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Thread-Topic: [PHP-DEV] Re: Short syntax for array literals [...]
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To: "Rasmus Lerdorf" <rasmus@lerdorf.com>,
	"Antony Dovgal" <tony@daylessday.org>
Cc: <internals@lists.php.net>
Subject: RE: [PHP-DEV] Re: Short syntax for array literals [...]
From: andi@zend.com ("Andi Gutmans")

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rasmus Lerdorf [mailto:rasmus@lerdorf.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 11:44 PM
> To: Antony Dovgal
> Cc: internals@lists.php.net
> Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: Short syntax for array literals [...]
>
> At a certain level everything is just syntax.  There is nothing about
a
> "for" loop that can't be done with a "while" loop.  All OO code could
> be
> written procedurally as well.  PHP has always made an effort to match
> the expectations of the typical web developer.  14 years ago the
> typical
> web developer knew Perl and C, so a lot of syntax was borrowed from
> those two languages.
>=20
> Then kids started coming out of universities with Java on their
brains,
> so PHP adopted a Java-like OO syntax.  Today's web developer is
> typically writing half their app in some variety of Ecmascript, either
> Javascript or Actionscript and this array syntax is second nature to
> all
> those folks.
>=20
> We have to be very conservative and pick our spots when it comes to
> evolving the language syntax, but we also can't bunker down and get
> stubborn and expect the world to stand still around us.  If we had
> taken
> that same position at PHP 2, PHP 3, PHP 4 or even PHP 5 just because a
> handful of developers were content with the current state of things,
we
> would be in serious trouble today.

I agree completely and this is exactly the situation where in the past
we did evolve the language. We've been rightfully so conservative about
it but I think this case is really a no brainer.
There's a minority here who thinks it's confusing but besides it being a
small minority, as Rasmus says, a large part of our user base especially
the new ones entering development will be very used to this syntax and
it will make their lives easier.

+1 from me (in case my previous email without the vote wasn't clear :)

Andi