I've had a quick scan of the list at https://wiki.php.net/rfc but cannot seem to find anything. I'll read more carefully through, or is there a different list elsewhere which I should look at?
On 19 March 2015 at 21:03, Larry Garfield <la...@garfieldtech.com> wrote: > On 3/19/15 3:49 PM, Alex Bowers wrote: > >> This email is just to gauge the response for some syntactic sugar to be >> added to PHP in regard to slicing an array. >> >> My proposal is something similar to Pythons slice, in PHP this would look >> like: >> >> $slided = $array[1:4] >> >> This will get the elements in positions 1,2,3,4. (1 through 4 inclusive), >> ignoring the actual key of the array. The result for an array will be an >> array with the keys preserved, in the same order. Any multi-dimensions are >> also respected and returned within the array. >> >> This is the same as using the array_slice method with the PRESERVE KEYS >> fourth parameter passed through as true. >> >> The result for a string is the string from the two positions indicated. >> This is the same as using substr(). >> >> The benefits for this as I see it is: >> >> 1) No function overhead >> 2) More readable (opinionated) >> 3) Consistent with how we can select items from an array currently (using >> index). >> >> If the array is not long enough (for example, index 4 doesn't exist), then >> a NOTICE is thrown, and the values returned are as much as possible; this >> would be the same as calling $array[1:] which will get the items in >> position 1 through to the end. >> >> If the variable used contains a string, then this will get the values from >> the string at those positions. The same way that $string[1] will get the >> second character, $string[2:5] will get the third through to the sixth >> character. This differs from array_slice which would throw a warning and >> return null. >> >> If the variable isn't either a string or an array (or convertible to >> either); then a warning is thrown and null is returned, consistent with >> current use ($int[0] will return null) >> >> Arrays with associated keys cannot be selected by using the keys they >> have, >> but instead should be selected by the position those keys hold. >> >> For example, this is invalid: >> >> $array['string':'end']. This should throw a fatal error. >> >> The valid options are: >> >> $array[from:to] - This gets the values from position 'from' to 'to' >> inclusive >> $array[from:] - This gets the values from the position 'from' to the end. >> $array[:to] - This gets the values from the start to the position 'to'. >> >> $array[:] will get all the items in the array ($same as doing $array) >> >> A side addition, that may be considered is adding [-1] to get the last >> item >> in the array. But that is not a main part of this RFC. >> >> Thanks >> > > > Variations of this proposal have been discussed many times. I don't > recall what the pushback was but it's worth your time to check the archives > to see what the objections were and if you can address them, and/or if the > new engine in PHP 7 addresses them. (I suspect it has/will ameliorate a > lot of implementation-level issues with old proposals.) > > Personally I'd be in favor of such a syntax but I don't recall the > objections in the past beyond "meh, sugar". > > --Larry Garfield > > -- > PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php > >
