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To: internals@lists.php.net,Mark Shust <mark@shust.com>
Message-ID: <E29279E7-D813-437B-BECB-E2612A6C86DE@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] array coalesce operator concept
From: rowan.collins@gmail.com (Rowan Collins)

On 11 July 2017 16:02:18 BST, Mark Shust <mark@shust=2Ecom> wrote:
>For a syntactic
>sugar/improvement, this can be shorthand for executing the loop instead
>of
>wrapping the block within an is_array check:
>
>
><?php
>
>$foo =3D "abc";
>
>foreach (??$foo as $bar) {
>
>  echo $bar;
>
>}

Hi!

I think there's definitely the start of a good idea here, but the syntax y=
ou suggest doesn't read quite right=2E As has been pointed out, this differ=
s from existing features in two ways:

- the special handling is for any non-iterable value, not just null or emp=
ty/falsey values, for which you could use $foo??[] and $foo?:[] respectivel=
y
- the handling is to skip the loop, not loop once assigning $bar to the sc=
alar value, as would happen with (array)$foo

The challenge, then, is to come up with some syntax that somehow suggests =
these rules=2E The "??" is too much like the null coalesce, which would be =
misleading=2E

The only idea that immediately comes to mind is a keyword:

foreach ifarray ($foo as $bar) {

I can't say I'm that keen on that syntax, but maybe it will inspire someon=
e else=2E

Regards,

--=20
Rowan Collins
[IMSoP]