ADT in PHP - where do we want them?

Hello there, some time ago I had a discussion on #php.de with Ulf Wendel and Johann-Peter Hartmann about Advanced Data Types (short: ADT; data structures like Hashes, Linked Lists, Trees, ...) in PHP, because we needed efficient implementation of those for a project. We thought about implementing those structures at first in PHP itself, but then port the result to C at a later time. Later I had a discussion with Sterling Hughes whether he could help us with the implementation of our somewhen-to-be-coded ADT extension for PHP. And he offered help beyond anything we expected: He promised to write such an extension by himself. Today I had another discussion with Sterling. He told me that he's coming along nicely with the development of his ADT extension but he now has doubts if the implementation as an extension is really what we want for PHP. We agreed that it would be by far better for PHP as a language to have those data types "available in the core", nut as "just" an extension. So, here is what it comes down to: What do you think about this? Yours, Sebastian PS: All the best wishes at this point for Sterling's health. He had an accident while trying to use a snowboard (he got a head concussion, I hope I use the right term here) and must attend to his bed for another week. -- sebastian bergmann e-mail : sb@sebastian-bergmann.de homepage : http://www.sebastian-bergmann.de make a gift : http://wishlist.sebastian-bergmann.de measure the usability of your web application -> http://phpOpenTracker.de