RE: [PHP-DEV] Type hints with null default values

The issues surrounding this seemed to have been muddied up a little, I'll try to clear them up. I see two different sets of functionality that people are asking for. #1. The ability to pass null on a type hinted param (but still a mandatory param) #2. The ability to define an optional type hinted param. I see it as a very important distinction to make. Using the #2 to solve #1 is not the solution PHP should implement. Using some method which operates on the class hint itself is the right solution. For example, using the [] method: public function Compare([BaseClass] $objA, $cmpFunc); If we were to use the optional parameter method to solve #1, then you limit the language unnecessarily. public function Compare(BaseClass $objA=null, $cmpFunc); <-- Error! That would be a mistake, IMO, to put that restriction on the language. Thanks for all the feedback you guys are providing, together we should be able to come up with a solution that meets everyones needs. Bob Silva -----Original Message----- From: Marcus Boerger [mailto:helly@php.net] Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 11:23 AM To: Christian Schneider Cc: internals@lists.php.net; Andi Gutmans; Robert Silva; 'Cristiano Duarte' Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Type hints with null default values Hello Christian, we've discussed this restriction before and the more i think over the issue the more i come to the conclusion that if at all we should provide this exact syntax. regards marcus Tuesday, October 19, 2004, 11:42:22 AM, you wrote: > Andi Gutmans wrote: >> So one suggestion (also made a few months ago) was that the following: >> function method(MyClass $obj = NULL); >> would mark $obj as allowing NULL parameter. > The only restrictions I see is that it makes the parameter optional as > well (something I don't consider a problem as it is probably desirable > in most cases anyway to be able to leave out an explicit null) and that > it only works if no mandatory parameter follows, e.g. > function method(MyClass $obj = null, $mandatory); > is not possible. Not a real problem either IMHO. > I still like this option more than anything else proposed here because > it doesn't add new syntax and is simple to understand ("I can leave the > parameter out then it will be null or I can pass null as I could also > have left it out instead, otherwise I need to pass an object of MyClass"). -- PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php