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Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:21:28 +0200
To: Pierre Joye <pierre.php@gmail.com>
Cc: internals <internals@lists.php.net>, Andrew Faulds
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Pseudo-objects (methods on arrays, strings, etc.)
From: glopes@nebm.ist.utl.pt (Gustavo Lopes)

On Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:07:09 +0200, Pierre Joye wrote:

> On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 2:12 AM, Gustavo Lopes
> <glopes@nebm.ist.utl.pt> wrote:
>
>> Adding method call
>> syntax to arrays hardly makes PHP more object oriented. Syntax is
>> unimportant. There's no substantial difference between 
>> array_slice($arr,
>> ...) and $arr->slice(...).
>
> There is a huge difference. One of the main difference would be to
> finally have an uniform API and not this painful inconsistent APIs we
> have to maintain.

There isn't a difference in terms of making PHP more object oriented, 
which was the main advantage advanced by the OP. I'm all for redesigning 
strings/arrays APIs (presented as an afterthought by the OP), but for 
that the discussion should be centered on what those APIs will look 
like, not the syntax one uses to call them.

In fact, quite frequently, syntax discussions make more important 
design decisions be ignored (see namespaces).

>> There is, in my opinion, *one* merit here -- redesigning -- and 
>> perhaps
>> reimplementing -- the arrays functions API. This will require a lot 
>> of work,
>> thought, and time tough.
>
> Yes, but long due, same for strings.

-- 
Gustavo Lopes