Re: Custom object equality

On 23-10-2023 22:07, Jordan LeDoux wrote:

I don't quite follow. The interface would cause the engine to use the result of an equals() function on the object if it implements an interface as part of zend_compare? Internally there is no == function, there is only the equivalent of <=>. To implement it ONLY for == would require a trapdoor of some kind in the do_operation handler that would also affect the way the existing extensions work, such as the DateTime class which implements a custom handler for the compare handler on the zend class entry.

No, the interface would not cause anything to happen in zend_compare. It would simply serve to make explicit that an object has a custom implementation of a (set of) operators and that the implementing method can be called directly. So the developer can choose to either use the operator or call the implementing method on the object. Both styles would be supported and the following two expressions would be equivalent: $a == $b $a->equals($b) (the method name is just an example) Regarding your (Jordan's) RFC on the subject: The method call style would not yield readable code in this case, as the 'methods' are named after the operators. So that part of the RFC would need to change to make both styles work. Regards, Dik