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Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:44:01 +0800
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Subject: Expose compare_function() to userspace
From: aharvey@php.net (Adam Harvey)

Well, while I'm sending e-mails...

Unrelated to the Comparable RFC, are there any objections to adding a
function that simply wraps compare_function()? It's depressingly
common to end up writing a construct like the following in comparison
callbacks, so I think we might as well encapsulate the pattern in an
actual function:

if ($a < $b) {
  return -1;
}
elseif ($a > $b) {
  return 1;
}
return 0;

If I don't hear kicking and screaming in the next few days, I'll slip
this into trunk. I can provide a patch/RFC in advance if there's
demand, but it'll be about as simple as you imagine. :)

The one thing that I would like bikeshedding^Wfeedback on is the name:
cmp() makes the most sense to me, since it lines up well with Python
and (to a lesser extent) Perl, but if there are concerns about
potential name clashes with existing code, may I suggest
var_compare(). Get your votes and/or suggestions in!

Thanks,

Adam