1) ability to customize the fatal error message
2) knowing whether the class is required or optional
I don't think we should start customizing error messages. The engine has a lot of error messages and they are not customized. I see no reason why autoloader can't produce message of its own if it wants to - why the engine should care about it in this particular case.
As for being required - I don't see why autoloader needs to know that. If the engine asked for the class, then it needs it, no? If you didn't need the class, why try autoloading it?
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Stanislav Malyshev, Zend Software Architect
stas@zend.com http://www.zend.com/
(408)253-8829 MSN: stas@zend.com