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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Add support $object::class
From: ralph@ralphschindler.com (Ralph Schindler)


>> 2. Illogically - Bar::class valid syntax, $object::class invalid syntax.
>>
> I'll grant you the consistency argument.  I'm all for consistency, but
> that's the ONLY valid reason you've stated.

Even then I think this part of the argument is fairly weak.  In 
Bar::class, the context of Bar is always a class name (either short due 
to do namespace or use statements, or long fully qualified).

$object is not guaranteed to be an object, it could be anything (int, 
string, etc) or nothing (null).  using ::class for a variable, I'd 
argue, makes for less consistency.  What would the replacement be for 
non-object variables?  An error, exception, or false, or string type? 
At least in "Bar::class", you'll always get a string representation of 
what the fully qualified class name resolves to.

That said, the argument could be made that since static::class, 
self::class, and parent::class fall into the same category of potential 
runtime resolutions that $object::class too should be supported.

-ralph