Apart from namespaces, I can't think of any other "syntactical core
level feature" missing that could not be implemented as an extension.
Goto can't...
Well, okay fine. It can, but at a significantly greater cost and complexity. By that token namespaces can be done in an extension too (You just REALLY wouldn't like it).
I'd like to raise a motion to 'Give the Language a Rest'.
I have to disagree. Unicode support is a syntax level feature and that's the flagship feature of the PHP6 release. Exceptions are a syntax level feature and that was one of the shining points of PHP5. Perhaps what it's time for is recognizing that PHP is still an evolving language.
Many (most) of these interminable threads are pointless deadends, but that doesn't make the one good idea in there not worth discussing. It also doesn't make the bad ideas not worth discussing because that's how you sort them out.
Or should we, perhaps, invest more in other
fronts, which would be beneficial for a far bigger
audience. The levels above - extensions to keep
with the latest technologies, foundation classes, etc.
I couldn't agree more. That's why operator is an extension and not a proposed engine patch. However, while ZE does a commendable job at exposing its internals to manipulation there are some shortcomings. For example: My request last month for a modified or split comparison opcode to distinguish greater-than from less-than. You made some good points there about reconsidering how important it really was to know, and I do still plan to work those in, but this does serve as a good example of how the extension layer isn't _always_ enough.
The inability to inject tokens and expressions into the lexer and parser is another limitation on what can be done from extensions in terms of syntax level features. Yes, I know this is more of a problem with bison and flex than with the design of ZE, but that doesn't make it any less bothersome.
-Sara