Re: [RFC] Scalar Type Hinting With Casts (re-opening)

On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 12:25 PM, Zeev Suraski <zeev@zend.com> wrote: > We definitely do not.. Well, open list, if some like to discuss it, we can. But see below, it may not be necessary. > To elaborate, the notion that we already have strict class types for > classes, so we should have the same thing for scalar makes no sense at all. > Here's why: > > 1. If it was the case, we'd add this right when we added class type hints > (strict class types). Just like we'd to add full OO concepts right with 5.0. > 3. As I stated already, 'Dynamic Typing defines PHP, class type hints do > not'. Class type hints were added at a *MUCH* later stage, as a part of the > major rollout of the new object model of PHP 5. It was actually agreed that > the *only* way we'd add such type hints is if we weren't going to have them > for scalar types. > > What we have on the table right now - casting type hints - can be made to > behave in a way that's consistent with the dynamic typing nature of PHP. Except for the cases I listed in my 2nd mail, which you certainly did not read. However, my mistake, I had an outdated version of the RFC and clearing my local cache shows me the actual one, which matches 100% what I would like to see and wrote in my replies in this thread. > My main concern about the RFC the way it stands right now is that the > current direction involves E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR instead of E_STRICT or E_CAST > for data loss. This results in both consistency issues with casting as well > as incompatibility with the dynamic nature of PHP scalars. I know the RFC > author (Andrea) disagrees with me about it, but I think we need to find a > way to put this into a much wider decision. Probably the most practical > thing to do is to put it as a secondary question in the RFC, although those > can be tricky. I do not like these errors either, I would prefer to have the same than with class arguments, consistent, easy to catch for the developers. So yes, maybe a 2nd question about how bad arguments should be handled would be a good thing. Cheers, -- Pierre @pierrejoye | http://www.libgd.org