Hey all,
I'm looking to get feedback on a RFC I want to propose.
PHP RFC: Addition of the 'struct' data type.
Introduction:
PHP has many data types, but does not offer something that is the
equivalent to the C struct data type.The purpose of this RFC is to propose a data type of 'struct', which
would be a strictly typed, immutable data structure that resembles a mix
of a class and an array.
Would this type be a COW or pass-by-ref type?
Because.. I guess that could make all the difference...
If it's gonna be pass-by-ref, and I assume so, because you explicitly
mentioned immutable, then it's just a class minus behaviour?
That would probably simplify internals a lot, I guess?
Pros:
Provides a data type which would immutable and self-validating by
mandatory type hinting.Cons:
?Possible future considerations:
Advanced Type Validators.Use cases:
Configurations, DTOs, anything that needs a strict schema.Proposed usage / syntax:
struct MyStuct
{
boolean|bool 'prop01';
integer|int 'prop02';
double 'prop03';
string 'prop04';
array 'prop05';
object 'prop06';
resource 'prop07';
callable 'prop08';
iterable 'prop09';
Acme\MyClass 'prop10';
Acme\ConfStruct 'prop11';
array Acme\AnotherStruct 'prop12';
?boolean|bool 'prop13';
?integer|int 'prop14';
?double 'prop15';
?string 'prop16';
?array 'prop17';
?object 'prop18';
?resource 'prop19';
?callable 'prop20';
?iterable 'prop21';
?Acme\MyClass 'prop22';
?Acme\ConfStruct 'prop23';
?array Acme\AnotherStruct 'prop24';
}
OR?struct MyStuct
{
'prop01': boolean|bool;
'prop02': integer|int;
'prop03': float;
'prop04': string;
'prop05': array;
'prop06': object;
'prop07': resource;
'prop08': callable;
'prop09': iterable;
'prop10': Acme\MyClass;
'prop11': Acme\ConfStruct;
'prop12': array Acme\AnotherStruct;
'prop13': ?boolean|bool;
'prop14': ?integer|int;
'prop15': ?float;
'prop16': ?string;
'prop17': ?array;
'prop18': ?object;
'prop19': ?resource;
'prop20': ?callable;
'prop21': ?iterable;
'prop22': ?Acme\MyClass;
'prop23': ?Acme\ConfStruct;
'prop24': ?array Acme\AnotherStruct;
}struct Acme\ConfStruct
{
string 'host';
?int 'port';
}struct Acme\AnotherStruct
{
string 'firstName';
string 'lastName';
?integer 'age';
}Acme\ConfStruct $a = {
'host' => '127.0.0.1',
'port' => 8088
}Acme\MyStruct $myStruct = {
'prop01' => true,
'prop02' => 1,
'prop03' => 1.01,
'prop04' => 'Hello',
'prop05' => ['a', 'b', 'c'],
'prop06' => new stdClass(),
'prop07' => fopen('xyz.txt', 'wb'),
'prop08' => function() {
return 1 + 1;
},
'prop09' => [
[1, 2, 3],
[4, 5, 6],
[7, 8, 9]
],
'prop10' => new Acme\MyClass,
'prop11' => $a,
'prop12' => [
Acme\AnotherStruct [
'firstName' => 'Bob',
'lastName' => 'Walker'
],
Acme\AnotherStruct [
'firstName' => 'Little',
'lastName' => 'Johnny',
'age' => 5
],
],
'prop13' => null,
'prop14' => null,
'prop15' => null,
'prop16' => null,
'prop17' => null,
'prop18' => null,
'prop19' => null,
'prop20' => null,
'prop21' => null,
'prop22' => null,
'prop23' => null,
'prop24' => null
};$x = new Some\Other\Class($myStruct);
echo $myStruct['prop02'];
OR?echo $myStruct->prop02;
Warning / Errors / Exceptions:
Acme\MyStruct $a = {
'prop01' => 5,
...
}
// Should: throw new TypeError("'prop01' should be set as a boolean
type, integer type was attempted.")echo $a['xyz']; // or echo $a->xyz (which ever is the preferred syntax
after comments).
// Should: trigger_error("<b>Notice</b>: Undefined property:
Acme\MyStruct::xyz");
I'd prefer a syntax more resembling the current syntax for declaring
classes:
struct Config {
bool $enabled = true;
?string $path = null;
}
The draft does not specify what features of classes/arrays will remain
after "mixing" it to a struct type.
--
Regards,
Mike