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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Array access for UTF-strings (Was: PHP 6 as we know
 it suddenly died?)
From: webmaster@keryx.se (Keryx Web)

2010-03-12 18:36, Tomas Kuliavas skrev:
> Keryx Web rašė:
>> 2. If so, what will happen to array access in strings that are de
>> facto Unicode? Will the more clunky mb_substr() be the only option?
>
> What will happen to array access in unicode strings, if code wants to
> access them in bytes? Will some backwards incompatible binary be the
> only option?
>
> You want unicode strings. I want backwards compatibility which goes
> further than php 5.2.1. I want to write bytes in hexadecimal notation. I
> need both unicode aware and byte based functions.
>

Yours is a power user request, mine is a concern for the newbies.

PHP has gotten to where it is because it has been easy to pick up and 
new users will feel productive from day one.

I can say with 100 % certainty that new users will be SEVERELY confused 
if they use array access and get individual bytes from a multibyte 
encoded string.

Easy defaults for the newcomers and power tools for power users is a 
much better approach than the other way around.

To all:

I note that my question is still unanswered.


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Keryx Web (Lars Gunther)
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