Hello, I’m a full stack developer and owner of Truecast that lives in Holley, Oregon, USA.
Introduction
Navigating up multiple directory levels is a common requirement in PHP
applications, especially when managing paths in complex projects. Currently,
this is achieved by chaining calls to the dirname() function. This method,
while functional, can become cumbersome and less readable with increasing
directory depth.
Proposed Feature
I propose the introduction of a new function, upDir(), which simplifies the
process of moving up multiple directory levels in a file path. This function
extends the utility of the existing dirname() by allowing a user to specify the
number of directory levels they wish to ascend in a single function call.
Function Prototype:
function upDir(int $levels = 1, string $path = __DIR__): string
Function Example:
function upDir(int $levels = 1, string $path = null) {
if ($path === null)
$path = __DIR__;
for ($i = 0; $i < $levels; $i++)
$path = dirname($path);
return $path;
}
require upDir(4).'/init.php';
Parameters:
path: The input path.
levels: The number of parent directories to ascend.
Return:
Returns the path of the parent directory after ascending the specified levels.
Benefits
Improved Readability: Reduces the complexity and improves the readability of
the code, making it easier to understand at a glance, especially when dealing
with multiple nested directories.
Error Reduction: Decreases the likelihood of errors that can occur from
multiple chained dirname() calls, like miscounting the number of calls needed.
Efficiency: Potentially increases efficiency by reducing the number of function
calls in a script.
Potential Issues and Considerations
Backward Compatibility: The function would be an addition to the existing PHP
functions and is not expected to affect backward compatibility.
Performance: Initial benchmarks would need to be conducted to compare its
performance against repeated dirname() calls to ensure there are no significant
overheads.
Naming and Parameters: Further discussion might be required to finalize the
name of the function and whether additional parameters (such as handling
symbolic links differently) might be necessary.
Open Questions
Should there be any specific behaviors or exceptions when the number of levels
exceeds the current depth of the path?
Is there a significant demand or use case from the community that justifies the
inclusion of this function in the core PHP library?
I look forward to feedback from the community to refine this proposal and gauge
interest in moving forward with an RFC.
Thanks!
Daniel Baldwin
Truecast
https://www.truecastdesign.com
458-266-8064

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