Re: Methods which auto-return the class instance

Thanks for the feedback! On Fri, 23 Dec 2022, 09:33 Claude Pache, <claude.pache@gmail.com> wrote: > It is very common for fluent class methods to have a verbose `return > $this;` ending in their body. > But If you have declared self as return type into a non-static > class > method you have only two options to return: > > - the $this object > - another instance of the same class or subclass > > ... in order to avoid a return type error. > > > It is still two options, and it is not clear in general which one to pick.. > You could also say that, if you have object as return type, > there are two > options to avoid a return type error: either return the $this > object, or > return another object. > Yes but declaring self is more strict than object. And talking about the word itself... Declaring to return (your-)self but you could return someone-else of the same type as you. But it is ok, it refers to the class name not the instance. just semantic. My proposal is to set the instruction return $this; as optional for > non-static class methods with self declared as return type. > > > I’d rather have a syntax saying explicitly that you want to return $this, > rather than letting the interpreter guess what you meant. The obvious one > is: > > ```php > public function hit(): $this { $this->counter++; } > ``` > > Here, there is only one possible return value, and therefore the > return > instruction might be reasonably omitted. > Return $this is a valid alternative indeed. It is an explicit subclass of returning self which has a default return object, itself.