Re: [Concept] Extension methods

On Thu, Aug 11, 2022, at 1:59 PM, Alex Wells wrote: >>> Well, pipe operator is another option, but it’s got it’s downsides >>> compared to extension methods: >>> - it's less versatile: extension methods are required to specify a >>> type they’re extending, meaning they are methods, not functions. Hence, >>> two different map method extensions can be imported in >>> a single file >>> (given they’re for different types - say one for >>> Collection, the >>> other for array), unlike regular functions. I believe >>> it’s common >>> place to use both Collection::map and >>> array::map in a single file, >>> but that wouldn’t be possible or would require aliasing >>> - it’s uglier: since it just uses functions, to avoid clashes between >>> same method names, prefixes would be required >> >> Flipside: Pipe works on arrays and strings, which this would not. And arrays and strings >> are among the most common things to be chained in this way. (Most Collection objects are just >> alternate OOPy syntax around array_map and array_filter, at the end of the day.) Pipe also >> doesn't give the impression that the method is "part of" the object (it's not), >> whereas extensions do, despite being effectively just an alternate syntax for a public function that >> takes the object as an argument. >> >> And functions can be easily namespaced. >> >> --Larry Garfield >> >> -- >> PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List >> To unsubscribe, visit: https://www.php.net/unsub.php >> > > Why would this not work on arrays and strings? The intention is the > exact opposite: allow extension on (almost) all types allowed in PHP. > That includes all scalars, object, iterable, array, mixed, all classes, > interfaces & enums. How feasible is that to implement? > Regarding the impression, I agree. I’m not sure if this is a problem > though, as this isn’t a problem in other languages. I’m aware it’s not > a correct to compare PHP with other languages, but in this context PHP > is facing a question that wasn’t much different for other languages. > This is also easily solvable by introducing an extension member access > operator - something like ->>. Alternatively, an IDE can > just > highlight a method as being from an extension. Numerous languages also included a pipe operator to handle this use case, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ --Larry Garfield