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In-Reply-To: <002601cff777$eb923430$c2b69c90$@tutteli.ch>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2014 15:39:46 +0000
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References: <002601cff777$eb923430$c2b69c90$@tutteli.ch>
To: Robert Stoll <php@tutteli.ch>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Types on the right or on the left
From: ajf@ajf.me (Andrea Faulds)


> On 3 Nov 2014, at 15:07, Robert Stoll <php@tutteli.ch> wrote:
>=20
> It adds the type hint on the right hand side of the function (of the =
identifier). In contrast to parameters where the
> type hint is placed on the left hand side of the identifier.
> Mixing both, having some types on the left and others on the right, =
seems like another inconsistency in the language
> design to me.

These inconsistencies exist for two reasons:

- Opposition to doing it the other way
- Hack already doing it this way

I don=E2=80=99t think `function void foo();` will happen, since that=E2=80=
=99s been previously rejected as it breaks gripping for =E2=80=9Cfunction =
foo=E2=80=9D. Similarly, I don=E2=80=99t think `public $foo: Foo;` will =
happen, given Hack does it as `public Foo $foo;`.

PHP doesn=E2=80=99t need more inconsistency, sure, but we must be =
practical here. It is bad if PHP and Hack have the same feature with =
different syntax, it will cause developer confusion and further segment =
the communities. It is bad if we don=E2=80=99t get return type hinting =
because the =E2=80=9Cconsistent=E2=80=9D syntax would upset some people.

--
Andrea Faulds
http://ajf.me/