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Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2012 19:11:06 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: slevy1@pipeline.com
To: Stas Malyshev <smalyshev@sugarcrm.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: Support negative indexes for arrays and strings
From: slevy1@pipeline.com

>I see how this may work for strings and simple vectors, but what about this:
>
>$a = array(-1 => "foo", -2 => "bar"); echo $a[-1];
>
>It should keep returning "foo", right? So then the question is - what
>$array[-1] actually means? 

Context would be the deciding factor, i.e. perhaps restrict the shortcut's applicability to only a positive sequence of numbers for an indexed array's keys, as follows:

$a = array(10 => "pen", 11 => "heaven"); 
echo $a[-1]; // "heaven" 

>guess if somebody wrote an RFC on that it'd make understanding it
>easier. I see that the patch seems to address just the string part - but
>the subject also mentions arrays. I think making it clear would be helpful.

I'd appreciate if someone possessing RFC "karma" would step forward and put together what should be a relatively simple proposal.  And, it may be best to restrict it to just strings, too.  You could call it:

 "RFC: Negative Indexing for Strings"

Since Easen has generously provided the patch, writing this proposal should take max 10-20 minutes, if even that much. (And, if there were an RFC template that would make it even easier to do.)

SL