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Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 03:50:43 -0800
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Subject: Major release for BC??
From: karoly@negyesi.net (Karoly Negyesi)

Hi,

I am reading the 5.4 vs 7.0 debate. And, here's something I really
need to follow up on: "We should reserve major versions for BC breaks.
Just like we've always done". If that's what you've always done then
it's not PHP I spent practically every awake minute in the last seven
or so years.

If backwards compatibility break would mean a new PHP major we would
be in somewhere PHP 43 or something :D

Seriously. From PHP x.y.z to PHP x.y.z+1 things can change in ways
that require code change. That's in my books a backwards compatibility
break. Sometimes major ones. The biggest one, I think, was the order
change of session write / close handlers vs destructors in 5.0.5. I
also remember minor versions adding new arguments that can't be passed
in code running on older PHP because unlike userspace functions, these
complain about extra arguments. (Wish I remember what it was.
stream_wrapper_register with flags being new in 5.2.4? Would need to
dig in our archives a bit.)

Do not think I am trying to criticize PHP development. I am aware its
an open source software and scratch my own itch or get lost. I
remember debating a bit about backwards compatibility on this list but
I still couldnt resist writing this mail. I just wanted to make sure
this argument is not used in the PHP 5.4 vs 7.0 'cos it's totally
invalid and never was valid in the first place.

tl;dr the PHP developers have a false belief in not breaking backwards
compatibility in minor releases.

Regards

Karoly Negyesi