# SplFileObject Countable - Thread: https://externals.io/message/51672 - Original archive: https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/51672 - Started by Sebastian Marek on 2011-03-11T23:22:04+00:00 - Messages: 8 - 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 --- ## #51672 — Sebastian Marek — 2011-03-11T23:22:04+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/51672#51672 Hi, I have recently used SplFileObject to work with files. I was lacking a bit of functionality in there regarding counting number of lines in a given file. Although I could just load contents of the file to an array and check it size, I thought it would be nice to have SplFileObject Countable. Here is an example implementation I made tonight that seems to work well - https://gist.github.com/866767 . Is it something you think would be worth adding to the existing SplFileObject? Is the implementation any good? I reused some of the existing logic to avoid breaking 'spl_filesystem_object' internal integrity, but maybe it would make sense to make it work with the stream itself. If it's fine I can write some unit tests to cover this and then submit a complete patch. Regards -- Sebastian Marek proofek@gmail.com Follow me online at: Blog: http://criticallog.thornet.net/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/proofek Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmarek Ohloh: http://www.ohloh.net/accounts/proofek Hi, > > I have recently used SplFileObject to work with files. I was lacking a bit > of functionality in there regarding counting number of lines in a given > file. Although I could just load contents of the file to an array and check > it size, I thought it would be nice to have SplFileObject Countable. > > Here is an example implementation I made tonight that seems to work well - > https://gist.github.com/866767 . Is it something you think would be worth > adding to the existing SplFileObject? Is the implementation any good? I > reused some of the existing logic to avoid breaking 'spl_filesystem_object' > internal integrity, but maybe it would make sense to make it work with the > stream itself. In my oppinion, it does not make sense to implement countable for this use. Countable should be implemented on classes where calling `count()` on them is not ambiguous, i.e. the size of a collection. There is no reason why `count()` on a file should be the number of lines, why not words, or bytes? I'd however be happy with a new countLines() method. Best, > > If it's fine I can write some unit tests to cover this and then submit a > complete patch. > > Regards > -- > Sebastian Marek > proofek@gmail.com > > Follow me online at: > Blog: http://criticallog.thornet.net/ > Twitter: http://twitter.com/proofek > Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmarek > Ohloh: http://www.ohloh.net/accounts/proofek > > > […] > bit > > […] > check > > […] > - > > […] > worth > > […] > 'spl_filesystem_object' > > […] > the > > […] > > In my oppinion, it does not make sense to implement countable for this > use. Countable should be implemented on classes where calling `count()` on > them is not ambiguous, i.e. the size of a collection. > > There is no reason why `count()` on a file should be the number of lines, > why not words, or bytes? > > I'd however be happy with a new countLines() method. > > Best, > > > […] > -- Sebastian Marek proofek@gmail.com Follow me online at: Blog: http://criticallog.thornet.net/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/proofek Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmarek Ohloh: http://www.ohloh.net/accounts/proofek Hello, > > That makes perfect sense. I have raised a feature request and have attached > a patch containing both countLines() method implementation and phpt tests. > > thx > > > > > […] --- ## #51692 — Peter Cowburn — 2011-03-15T10:01:26+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/51672#51692 · In reply to: #51690 Hi all, > Hi Sebastian, > > Since Etienne brought it up, would it not also make sense for you to > implement countWords() and countBytes()? For countBytes() how is that different from SplFileInfo's getSize() ? As for countWords() and the others, I think this crosses the line (in my view) over what a "File Object" should provide. > > Also, unicode issues aside, it might still be nice to implement > countChars(). > > And finally, so that it provides all most of the functionality of the GNU wc > program, there could also be getMaxLineLength().  This would need a > different name however as this method would be to count the longest line of > the file rather than indicate the maximum length of a line to read as the > current SplFileObject::getMaxLineLen() method does. > > Just my thoughts, > > Nick > > > > > […] Having not looked at the implementation yet, I have no comments on the patch itself. However, I would prefer a "get" prefixed method name, getLineCount() or similar. > > […] --- ## #51691 — Sebastian Marek — 2011-03-15T10:02:08+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/51672#51691 · In reply to: #51690 Hello Nick, Might be fun, I'll have a look at it. Is the stuff I have done so far any good? I've got only a little C experience, so any feedback is good! cheers > Hi Sebastian, > > Since Etienne brought it up, would it not also make sense for you to > implement countWords() and countBytes()? > > Also, unicode issues aside, it might still be nice to implement > countChars(). > > And finally, so that it provides all most of the functionality of the GNU > wc program, there could also be getMaxLineLength(). This would need a > different name however as this method would be to count the longest line of > the file rather than indicate the maximum length of a line to read as the > current SplFileObject::getMaxLineLen() method does. > > Just my thoughts, > > Nick > > > > > > > […] > > -- > > > > -- Sebastian Marek proofek@gmail.com Follow me online at: Blog: http://criticallog.thornet.net/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/proofek Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmarek Ohloh: http://www.ohloh.net/accounts/proofek For countBytes() how is that different from SplFileInfo's getSize() ? > As for countWords() and the others, I think this crosses the line (in > my view) over what a "File Object" should provide. Hi Peter & Sebastian, Bah. It isn't. Obviously that was going to exist already, but was thinking about methods looking like countXXXXX() too much :) Perhaps you are right, Peter, on your opinions about what a "file object" should provide. I would think, in that case, that a getLineCount() shouldn't exist on the "file object" either. Currently we have: SplFileInfo -- information/metadata about a file. | V SplFileObject -- modify/access contents of a file. It could make sense to subclass this to provide methods for accessing information about the contents of a file. As for a name, I'm not sure what would be best, but perhaps something like "SplFileData". Maybe someone else can come up with a better name? Then you could have the following methods: getByteCount() -- the same as getSize(), but for here for consistency. getCharCount() getLineCount() getWordCount() getLongestLine() Another consideration is how these should behave if we have a binary file - am not sure what GNU wc does, but perhaps that is a starting point for deciding what should happen. Also thought might be given to what other useful methods could be provided for getting information about the contents of a file. Some ideas (sensible or otherwise!): getShortestLine() getEolFormat() setEolFormat() -- allow switching between LF, CR and CRLF. getLineIndent() -- Could return '\t', ' ', ' ', etc. setLineIndent() hasEmptyLines() hasTrailingWhiteSpace() ... It may also make sense to cache the result while the file is not modified as some of these operations could be expensive. Anyway - I'll stop rambling. I think this would be better than just hacking in a method for the sake of it. Cheers, Nick --- ## #51696 — Alexey Zakhlestin — 2011-03-15T11:07:01+00:00 URL: https://externals.io/message/51672#51696 · In reply to: #51695 > Currently we have: > >    SplFileInfo  -- information/metadata about a file. >         | >         V >   SplFileObject -- modify/access contents of a file. > > It could make sense to subclass this to provide methods for accessing > information about the contents of a file.  As for a name, I'm not sure what > would be best, but perhaps something like "SplFileData".  Maybe someone else > can come up with a better name? probably SplTextFileObject, as these methods make sense for text files -- Alexey Zakhlestin, http://twitter.com/jimi_dini http://www.milkfarmsoft.com/