Re: [RFC][DISCUSSION] Change var_export() array syntax touse short hand arrays

Hey Sara, Sara Golemon wrote:

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 12:38 PM Chase Peeler <chasepeeler@gmail.com> wrote:

Just out of curiosity, is there any reason we couldn't add an optional parameter called "$short_array" or whatever that defaults to false? Then there shouldn't be any backwards compatibility issues. None at all, though I'd make it an int $options = 0 similar to

json_encode(). I'd have a FAR easier time supporting that than a wholesale BC break for the sake of breaking BC. I can think of a few options: VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY => use [] instead of arrray() VAR_EXPORT_NO_WHITESPACE => Keep it concise, single line VAR_EXPORT_NO_VECTOR_INDEX => If an array is vector-like, skip indexes VAR_EXPORT_UTF8_UESCAPE => Detect places where we can use \u{1234} syntax for UTF8 strings Though I'm going to stay with my stated position that I would MUCH rather this stuff live in userspace. Just because PHP's penchant for including the kitchen sink is broken already doesn't mean we should break it more.

As you say, including the kitchen sink might be excessive, but I think adding a $flags option isn't a bad idea — it's low-maintenance, simple to implement and, in my opinion, would be frequently used. We can have the best of both worlds: consistent default behaviour, and nicer output for those who want it. I can see myself using VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY and VAR_EXPORT_NO_VECTOR_INDEX (not with that name…) :) (Also, if we make the output of var_export() more palatable, will people use it instead of print_r() for development purposes? I can dream…) Thanks, Andrea