2017-01-28 16:37 GMT+01:00 georges <geol...@gmail.com>: > Hello > > Php Internals, > > I was wondering today why did we not have (yet ?) > > a Collection type in Php ? > Typically what would be that kind of variable type ? > > This type would be a great intermediate between an array and an Object. > Today, in my opinion we are seeing to much wrong uses of php Object. > To quote one of the most used: The Doctrine Collection object. > These kind of object are IMO very memory-greedy ones. > > The implementation idea would be to have a new variable type: > The Collection. > The Collection is Iterable, Traversable, Countable like an array to be > compatible with foreach and other Traversable-compatibles functions. > The Collection become a type on it's > > own, so there's a lot of changes to be considered: > - The serialization > - The vardumping/exporting > - The Exception traces > - The backtrace > > To be syntaxely compliant to array and object it would be case insensitive > even if i would like to prefer it Camelcased: Collection. This is up to > you. > The target is Php 8, but the reserved word could be introduced in php 7.3. > > Here's are very basics implementation concepts: > > /** > * Standard var declaration > */ > $collection = Collection(int); > > /** > * Alternative var declaration > */ > $collection = Collection(int, [1, 2, 3]); > > // Throws nothing > $collection[]= 10; > $collection['abc']= 10; > > // Throws CollectionTypeHintError > $collection = Collection(int, [1, '2', 3]); > $collection['abc']= '10'; > $collection['abc']= new StdClass; > > // Transtypes the collection to an standard array > $collectionAry = (array) $collection; > > // Throws CollectionTypeReHintingError > $collection = (array) $collection; > $collection = 10; > > // Throws nothing > unset($collection); > $collection = 10; > > > Now the +/-; > > The +: > + We have an optimized Collection type instead of those ugly Object-like > collections that are ressources-greedy. > + Aside of the optimization, we have a well understandable type hint > reserved to the Collections. This is clearly a better > semantically-appropriated way to work with Collection data. > > > The -: > - Collection become a reserved word. Therefore, this could introduce a > major BC. > > > Cheers, > Georges.L >
Morning, sounds like everything you want is typed arrays? Or how does it differ from typed arrays? What's wrong with having it as object as long as it's implemented efficiently? Regards, Niklas
