Re: Re: [PHP6] Function name consistency

Hi Larry, On Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 5:38 AM, Larry Garfield <larry@garfieldtech.com>wrote: > > Agreed. Simply aliasing a bunch of functions offers no useful value, but >>> does increase confusion. ("Wait, do I use strcmp() or string_compare() >>> on >>> this project? What version are we on again? Oh, look, this library uses >>> both. Must have been different devs. FML.") >>> >>> If we're going to do anything, be aggressive and far-reaching with it. >>> Build a proper language-level OOP design for string/array manipulation. >>> >>> We have enough functions lying about. Don't add more. >>> >> >> >> We should be careful choosing names. I agree. >> However, not adding more function names is simply impossible. >> For example, I'm about to add new session function named >> >> string session_create_id([string $prefix]) >> >> for user save handlers, so that user could generate secure ID >> easily. It's a straight name for session ID creation and there >> might be users using this name. >> >> Not adding any new names means not adding any new features >> nor cleanups. >> >> Regards, >> > > I don't mean "never add a function again". I mean adding functions for no > particular value other than having more of them helps nothing, and arguably > makes the situation worse. Where possible, we shouldn't be adding > yet-another-utility-function but looking to how to build more complete and > functional language capabilities and standard libraries, rather than > piecemeal addition of functions one RFC at a time. > > For your example, for instance, session handling is as of PHP 5.4 an > object. That's the cleaner way to handle it than a bunch of functions. > Can that function be better integrated into an API rather than just added > to a long list of tools? I don't know; maybe. But we should be asking > those questions, not saying "how many more ways to type strcmp() can we > introduce to confuse people." I think we have different objective. - Better PHP for *future* users. vs - Better PHP for *current* users. Both objectives are important, IMHO. My intention is to make/keep PHP attractive language to learn. We have namespace, so name collision is not much issue now a days, isn't it? I know there are many apps w/o namespace, though. There is a way to work round at least. Regards, -- Yasuo Ohgaki yohgaki@ohgaki.net