# AW: AW:  dropping curly braces

- Thread: https://externals.io/message/20160
- Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/20160
- Started by Matthias Pigulla on 2005-11-18T15:43:04+00:00
- Messages: 7
- Reply by email to internals@lists.php.net
- More for agents: search with https://externals.io/search.md?q={query} · JSON API at https://externals.io/api · documentation at https://externals.io/llms.txt

---

## #20160 — Matthias Pigulla — 2005-11-18T15:43:04+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20160

> For the 13th time.  {} is not going away in 5.1.

From the NEWS file:

16 Nov 2005, PHP 5.1 Release Candidate 5
- Added an `E_STRICT` warning on the usage of {} for accessing of string
offsets.
  (Ilia)

That is, code that has been tested with RC4 and that worked (not even a
notice on whatever error reporting level) might suddenly misbehave
(produce warnings) as of RC5.

Now don't start that stupid "disable error output on production systems"
discussion again. I want my code to work on whatever setup my customers
use and I have no control over that.

Even if it's as simple as emitting a warning - it is a stupid,
unnecessary change in the RC phase. That is about professionalism.

-mp.

---

## #20161 — Sascha Schumann — 2005-11-18T15:47:43+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20161 · In reply to: #20160

> 16 Nov 2005, PHP 5.1 Release Candidate 5
> - Added an `E_STRICT` warning on the usage of {} for accessing of string
> offsets.
>  (Ilia)

     I suggest removing that warning immediately until the matter
     is resolved.

     - Sascha

---

## #20207 — Christian Schneider — 2005-11-20T22:21:01+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20207 · In reply to: #20161

Sascha Schumann wrote:
> > […]
> 
>     I suggest removing that warning immediately until the matter
>     is resolved.

I second that as people on the list here are undecided about the removal 
of {} for strings. Keeping that warning creates even more confusion 
about a really minor issue (having two ways of accesing strings offsets).

- Chris
---
http://news.php.net/php.internals/19415

---

## #20208 — Ian P. Christian — 2005-11-20T22:27:57+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20208 · In reply to: #20207

> I second that as people on the list here are undecided about the removal
> of {} for strings. Keeping that warning creates even more confusion
> about a really minor issue (having two ways of accesing strings offsets).

Whilst I'm not really in favour of the change, I think that a change in PHP 
like this would be far better accepted were it better documented.

The previous major change in PHP got PHP a lot of press, but I didn't read 
anywhere an 'official' document as to why things were changed, explaining in 
idiot-terms how to fix things, and why the fix was needed.

If this change included a simple sed command that could be applied to code to 
fix 'legacy' code, and a page was put up linked form PHP.net's front page to 
the documenation explaining why the change took place, then this change would 
be far easier for php users to accept.

BTW, whilst on the topic, was there a document written about why the former 
mentioned change was made?  All I've seen is PHP developers getting stressed 
and saying 'it was a needed fix', with very little justification.  

Regards,

-- 
Ian P. Christian ~ http://pookey.co.uk

---

## #20210 — Ian P. Christian — 2005-11-20T23:06:32+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20210 · In reply to: #20208

> If this change included a simple sed command that could be applied to code
> to fix 'legacy' code

Sorry, should have included this...

For example: 

$ cat test
<?php

  $moo{3};

  $foo = $moo{12};

?>


$ sed -e 's/$\([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9]*\){\([0-9]*\)}/substr($\1,\2,1)/g' test
<?php

  substr($moo,3,1);

  $foo = substr($moo,12,1);

?>

-- 
Ian P. Christian ~ http://pookey.co.uk

---

## #20211 — George Schlossnagle — 2005-11-20T23:18:09+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20211 · In reply to: #20210

Ian P. Christian wrote:

>
>  
>
> > […]
>
>Sorry, should have included this...
>
>For example: 
>
>$ cat test
><?php
>
>  $moo{3};
>
>  $foo = $moo{12};
>
>?>
>
>
>$ sed -e 's/$\([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9]*\){\([0-9]*\)}/substr($\1,\2,1)/g' test
><?php
>
>  substr($moo,3,1);
>
>  $foo = substr($moo,12,1);
>
>?>
>  
>
Doesn't work to well with

$$moo{1};

or

$moo = array( 1 => 'foo');
$moo{1};

---

## #20212 — Ian P. Christian — 2005-11-20T23:21:29+00:00

URL: https://externals.io/message/20160#20212 · In reply to: #20211

> Doesn't work to well with
>
> $$moo{1};

Didn't think of that :)

> or
>
> $moo = array( 1 => 'foo');
> $moo{1};

I actaully didn't even know you could do that :)

So.. ignore my regex, but not my comment about decent docmentation for 
reasoning and how to fix existing code being needed.

-- 
Ian P. Christian ~ http://pookey.co.uk