Re: Request for RFC Karma: "use-from syntax for namespace use declarations"

On Mon, Jan 5, 2026 at 17:28 Ilija Tovilo <tovilo.ilija@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Stuardo > > Sorry for the late reply. > > On Tue, Dec 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM Stuardo -StR- Rodríguez <str@maphpia.com> > wrote: > > > > My name is Stuardo Rodríguez, and I would like to request RFC karma to > publish an RFC on the PHP wiki. > > RFC karma was granted. Good luck! > > > I have prepared an RFC titled "use-from syntax for namespace use > declarations" which proposes an alternative use syntax > that improves > readability by placing imported symbols first, followed by a namespace > prefix introduced by from. > > > > Example: > > ```php > > use ClassA from Vendor\Package; > > use {ClassB, ClassC as C} from Vendor\Package; > > ``` > > > > This is syntax sugar equivalent to existing imports: > > ```php > > use Vendor\Package\ClassA; > > use Vendor\Package\{ClassB, ClassC as C}; > > ``` > > I think such a proposal will have a very hard time passing. The > existing syntax is obviously well established as it has existed for > almost two decades. The alternative syntax doesn't immediately seem > better, other than being different (and probably closer to JS). > > You'd need to make a strong case about why this new syntax is > necessary (though I don't personally believe there is one). > > Regards, > Ilija Another thing to think about is that PHP doesn’t have the concept of modules, and the use statements aren’t importing anything. They are essentially declaring aliases. In working with other programmers new to PHP, this has been a major point of confusion, since use doesn’t behave like importing in JavaScript or Python, for example. I think this new syntax will lead to further confusion because it makes namespaces seem even more like modules. Cheers, Ben