Re: simple solution to another namespace conundrum?

On 24.06.2008, at 16:52, Derick Rethans wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008, Alexey Zakhlestin wrote:

On Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 6:36 PM, Derick Rethans <derick@php.net> wrote:

On Fri, 20 Jun 2008, Gregory Beaver wrote:

The user is obviously intentionally creating a "DateTime" class, and doesn't care about the internal classname in this script. The attached patch against PHP_5_3 would fix the issue by eliminating the check for conflict with CG(class_table) in the global namespace for internal classes. It however preserves this check for userspace classes so that (for instance) php-src/tests/Zend/ns_030.phpt does not fail. The basic idea is that we do have control over the userspace classes we include, but have no control over the internal classes.

I am not so sure this is a good idea. I mean, for the developer that writes the code it's obvious that his version of DateTime is used. But for a second developer to come back later this could be a great WTF factor a few years down the road - wondering why the DateTime documentation on php.net doesn't match with what the class does.

it won't be a serious 'wtf', as on the top of the file, there would be some kind of use MySuperLibrary::DateTime;

I know, but 400 lines down in the code you can't really see that. This addition might fix the immediate issue - but it doesn't make life easier for the developers that have to maintain the code. Even less if they're not aware that stuff is namespaced.

I think this is the name of the game. If you want namespace magic, then you have to live with it. I am sure that editors and IDE's can easily be extended the provide some assistance here. But it does of course means that when people share code, they can no longer rely that some namespace kung-fu will not break seemingly innocent code. As such I am +1 for Greg's change. regards, Lukas Kahwe Smith mls@pooteeweet.org