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Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:10:39 +0100
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC Proposal] var keyword deprecation/removal
From: php@fleshgrinder.com (Fleshgrinder)

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From: Fleshgrinder <php@fleshgrinder.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC Proposal] var keyword deprecation/removal
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On 2/25/2016 10:26 AM, Tony Marston wrote:
>> Science shows that it is harmful, let's clean it up!
>=20
> Your "proof" is not scientific, it is just personal opinion. There is n=
o
> evidence that use of the "var" keyword is harmful in any way.

I think the diverged from talking about the "var" keyword in particular
towards duplication in general a long time ago. However, I still think
that DRY is empirically proven.

> Where is your proof? You say "not used by a major part of the community=
"
> which means that it is still being used by a minor part, but exactly ho=
w
> "minor"? I don't see why I should be forced to make a totally
> unnecessary change to vast numbers of my scripts just to fall in line
> with your personal opinions.

It is true that I did not provide this proof because Colin O'Dell did
claim this fact in the very initial message of this thread and I believe
him.

> There is no reason to remove it from ANY version of PHP. It does no
> harm, it would take effort to take it out and amend the documentation,
> but for what benefit?

I stick to the main reason I gave, DRY. Duplication needs to be managed
and removing it removes the maintenance burden.

> Change for change's sake is never a good idea. I have been developing i=
n
> several languages for 40 years, and I can tell you point blank that
> while programmers expect new features to be added they do NOT expect ol=
d
> features to disappear. Once a piece of code has been written and has
> proved to work as designed it is expected to work with all future
> versions. The only exception to this is to plug holes in security. This=

> is called "forwards compatibility", and was a major selling point of al=
l
> my previous languages. If developers fear that they will have to rewrit=
e
> huge swathes of code each time a new version is released they will
> quickly give up and move to a "professional" language which offers long=

> term stability.

I did not say that we should change for change's sake. I only stated
that trying hard to prevent change by all means is wrong. Again, this
diverged away from the "var" keyword alone a long time ago and was more
a general statement.

TL;DR Thanks for yet another aggressive/provocative email, I stick to my
+1. However, you all have valid points to keep it.

--=20
Richard "Fleshgrinder" Fussenegger


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