[RFC] array_search_range — Concrete Use Cases

Hi everyone, After the feedback from Larry and mickmackusa, I thought it would be more helpful to lay out the concrete, real-world use cases for this function in one place, rather than discussing it in abstract terms. ------------------------------ The Core Problem array_slice() always creates a new array. For large arrays, this means significant memory overhead and slowdown, just to find the position of an element or a range of elements. array_search_range() is designed to return only the indices, without making any copy. ------------------------------ Real-World Use Cases *1. Pagination on large arrays* When you have an array with a hundred thousand elements and you only want to process a specific range, you currently have to copy the whole slice or loop over everything. This function gives you just the indices of that range. *2. Processing large log files* You read a big log file into an array and you want to find only the lines within a specific time range. Instead of a full scan or a copy, you get just the relevant positions. *3. Queues* When you want to find items between two positions without modifying or copying the queue. The function returns only the indices, leaving the queue untouched. *4. Database cache* When you cache a query result in an array and want to find a specific range of results without re-running the query. Instead of copying records, you just get the indices. ------------------------------ Why This Small Function Is Worth It - ✅ *Memory:* no copy means memory usage stays constant - ✅ *Speed:* a bounded search instead of a full scan - ✅ *Simplicity:* a small function, with no dependency on a large lazy slice project - ✅ *Available now:* usable today, not after a multi-month RFC ------------------------------ Thanks for your time. I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if any other use cases come to mind that could be added to the RFC. Best regards, Sepehr