Type casting while array destructuring

Hi, currently when using array destructuring the variables are assigned as they are. For example we split a string with explode all variables will contain strings: $data = "foo:*:1023:1000::/home/foo:/bin/sh"; [$user, $pass, $uid, $gid, $gecos, $home, $shell] = explode(":", $data); If we want to write functions consuming $uid and $gid as integer values with strict types enabled we need to cast the values afterwards: $uid = (int) $uid; $gid = (int) $gid; // or during the function call $myConsumingObject->myConsumingFunction((int) $uid, (int) $gid); I think you get my point. How about adding some syntactic sugar and allow type casting inside the detructuring expression? $data = "foo:*:1023:1000::/home/foo:/bin/sh"; [$user, $pass, (int) $uid, (int) $gid, $gecos, $home, $shell] = explode(":", $data); // $uid and $gid are integer values now. All other variables remain as they are and contain strings An example with associative arrays in loops: $array = [

    [
        'name' => 'a',
        'id' => '1'
    ],
    [
        'name' => 'b',
        'id' => '2'
    ],

]; foreach ($array as ['id' => (int) $id, 'name' => $name]) {

    // $id contains integer values

} Further thoughts: when using the list() reference assignment implemented in PHP7.3 the referenced value could be casted (something to discuss about, maybe as future scope as casting a reference assignment currently isn't supported): $array = [1, 2]; [(string) $a, (string) &$b] = $array; // $a would be a string: '1' // $b would be a string: '2' // $array would contain one integer and one string element: [1, '2'] Thoughts?