On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 1:32 PM Sara Golemon <poll...@php.net> wrote:

> On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 11:39 AM Benjamin Morel <benjamin.mo...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > If "they" don't care about syntax, then why do you?
> >
> >
> > Sorry I was unclear. I was reacting to the argument about broken tests in
> > php-src.
> > I meant: they don't have *expectations* about the syntax, but they'll
> most
> > likely want to be able to read it.
> >
> > And we circle back to the current syntax being perfectly readable. We
> could keep this up all quarantine...
>
> In a more practical example,
> https://github.com/php/web-php/blob/master/include/releases.inc is an
> example of a var_export() generated file that lives in the wild and is
> regularly updated.
>
> I would say it's fairly readable, HOWEVER I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU that it
> would be MORE readable using short array syntax and skipping the index
> numbers.  In fact, I had exactly this thought nearly 3 years ago when I
> started touching this file regularly. (plus the fact that the structure of
> this array is kinda gross).
>
> You'll note though, that I'm not championing making this file more
> reasonable. Because it doesn't matter.  Because accidental damage to
> existing code isn't worth a minor bit of aesthetics by a file which is
> primarily read by machines.  If it really mattered to me in any meaningful
> way, I'd write the dozen or so lines of script needed to output in a
> "pretty" way.  Or I'd go google and find brick/varexporter.
>
> Lastly, there are at least six RMs at any given moment working on PHP's
> release.  Can you imagine if we were updating this file using different
> versions?  The git churn would be horrific.  Do not want.  If we really
> wanted "pretty var_export", then there'd be no real choice BUT to use a
> library script to do the serializing.
>
> -Sara
>

I'm with Sara on this, which shouldn't be a big surprise.

Just out of curiosity, is there any reason we couldn't add an optional
parameter called "$short_array" or whatever that defaults to false? Then
there shouldn't be any backwards compatibility issues.

-- 
Chase Peeler
chasepee...@gmail.com

Reply via email to