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Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:16:16 -0400
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To: Derick Rethans <derick@php.net>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Could we kill call_user_func?
From: steve@mrclay.org (Steve Clay)

On 3/21/13 7:37 AM, Derick Rethans wrote:
> On Fri, 15 Mar 2013, Steve Clay wrote:
>
>> call_user_func() just seems so ugly now that we have nicer syntax in
>> so many other areas.
>
> That doesn't mean we should just be ripping out functionality that works
> perfectly fine.

I was not clear in my initial post. I don't want call_user_func removed, just made 
unnecessary. To reiterate why:

1. call_user_func fails reference args. (It's not a full substitute for a direct call)

2. Most callable values are already directly callable:
    ✓ func as string
    ✓ dynamic method as array
    ✓ static method as array
      static method as string
    ✓ Closure
    ✓ object with __invoke
      Closure in object property (I understand why this is off the table)
      expression containing Closure in object property

If always store the callable in a var, the situation is much better:

    ✓ func as string
    ✓ dynamic method as array
    ✓ static method as array
      static method as string
    ✓ Closure
    ✓ object with __invoke
    ✓ Closure in object property

How difficult would it be to support making this work?

$c = "Foo::bar";
$c();


Steve Clay
-- 
http://www.mrclay.org/