Re: [RFC] [Discussion] Stringable Enums

Good point Derick, On 4.12.2025 14:36:14, Derick Rethans wrote:

On Thu, 4 Dec 2025, Tim Düsterhus wrote:

Hi Am 2025-12-04 09:01, schrieb Rowan Tommins [IMSoP]:

And is it even a good name for those methods? In the date-time package, for instance, it would be better named toEnglishName() or getFullEnglishName(), as its docblock explicitly says. In the framework code, it seems to be used for a property called $displayValue, so the obvious name for the method would be getDisplayValue().

I fundamentally disagree with the proposal for reasons similar to those that Rowan mentioned. More specifically, I consider implementing __toString() to be a mistake, unless it is for a debug representation.

I agree, and also: We usually have a __debugInfo() method for debugging purposes. Instead of allowing __toString() to be added, I think I would rather see __debugInfo() being allowed. It must continue to be not possible to treat enums as strings. cheers, Derick

Daniel, if you want to improve the magic method situation here, I'd much rather encourage you to add __debugInfo() than anything else. (Also fwiw I think __toString() should never have existed in the first place; but that's a wholly different topic.) Bob