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To: <internals@lists.php.net>,
	"Elizabeth M Smith" <auroraeosrose@gmail.com>
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Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:27:11 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] namespaces and alpha3
From: steph@php.net ("Steph Fox")

Hi Elizabeth,

> This can be solved in three ways.
>
> 1. Greg's "leaf" solution
>   foo::bar->baz(); - namespace foo::bar, function baz
>   foo->bar::baz(); - namespace foo, static method bar::baz
>
> Personally I don't like this, get confusing even if we pick some weird
> operator like :>
>
> 2. Don't allow functions or constants in namespaces
>
> Simplest solution but appears to piss off all the people who have never
> actually used the current implementation or hate OO on principle

Nope, it's more the case that if we don't allow it we have to either say 
'never' or set up an environment whereby functions and constants could be 
supported at a later date if need be.

> 3. Steph's idea - Change the separator (I vote ':::' - easy to do,
> similar to what we have already)
> foo:::bar:::baz(); - namespace foo:::bar function baz
> foo:::bar::baz(); - namespace foo, static method bar::baz
>
> I like this too, minus the headache of arguing over the namespace
> separator (again) - in a perfect world this would be a single colon, but
> the ternary issues (people write stupid code, so we have to cater to
> them) strikes again.

Actually that wasn't what I meant. I meant take Greg's "leaf" solution 
(huh?) without the ambiguous -> part for namespace elements, and yes I'd 
prefer : for this too but that's dead in the water. So:

foo:::bar->baz(); - namespace foo, namespace element bar->baz();
foo:::bar::baz();  - namespace foo, namespace element bar::baz();
foo:::baz(); - namespace foo, namespace element baz();
foo::bar::baz:::bat->fez(); - nested namespaces foo, bar, baz, namespace 
element bat->fez();
::baz(); - global element called within namespaced code

Those last two work out fine because :: is a scoping operator, not 
class-specific (which point it took me a while to get my head around). I 
think Greg's T_NS_MEMBER was the best idea ever for dealing with this 
sanely, he just did it so quietly we didn't notice: 
http://marc.info/?l=php-internals&m=122265715319308&w=2, and read all the 
way to the end. Taking ns elements and scope as different principles means 
we never get the 'dots before the eyes' issue that caused ::: to be turned 
down in the first place.

Derick won't like ::baz() though.

- Steph