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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Strict typing (was: Typehints)
From: smalyshev@sugarcrm.com (Stas Malyshev)

Hi!

> 1. right now we *have* strict type checks for classes and arrays in the
>     form of "classname" or "array"

Because classes and arrays were never intechangeable types and there was 
never implicit or explicit conversion between SplRecursiveTreeIterator 
and Zend_Pdf_Generator - it doesn't even make sense to suggest it. There 
always was conversion between int and string or int and bool. These two 
things are completely different.

> 2. the strict scalary type hint patch reuses this same syntax in the
>     form of<type-name>  to do the same thing in function arguments

It's not a good thing. As I mentioned, primitive types and classes are 
very different in their use cases and established patterns in PHP. 
Primitive types are largely interchangeable, classes are not. (As for 
arrays, arrays really should be a class by their usage patterns etc. but 
for historic reasons... you know)

> 3. we have casting type hints in the rest of the code in the form of
>     "(int)".

Just to make it simpler and less confusing, of course. It's nothing like 
language having two features that look almost exactly the same but work 
in different way, and using plenty of ()s is an added bonus for all Lisp 
fans out there.

> Some people don't like strict typehints, but the syntax as it currently
> is regarding type hints is *consistent*. Now, to allow both strict and
> casting hints, the logical step seems to be, to give the weak typehint
> advocates their tool as well:

Calling something that works completely differently from all the 
established patterns of PHP - like internal functions, etc. - 
"*consistent*" requires totally new definition of this word.
-- 
Stanislav Malyshev, Software Architect
SugarCRM: http://www.sugarcrm.com/
(408)454-6900 ext. 227