PHP 6 Suggestions

rpanning

I was just thinking about what I'd like to see different with PHP. Feel free to speak your mind about addons, changes, deletions, whatever. Just thought I'd get it out there. Maybe the PHP developers will see this. 😉

Consistant Function Names
Most newer functions are named better but the older ones should be changed. Like sort() should become array_sort(), etc. If they are similar/grouped, keep the name similar.

More Use of Exceptions
Now that PHP5 has the support for exceptions, I think anything that would make sence to throw one should (like functions, etc). Not that EVERYTHING should but that way we don't have to make custom error handling when something returns false (I have a system setup that throws an error if something fails).

Maybe a solution to these two would be to create static class functions that throw exceptions. Ex: Array::sort() I'm sure this would be a MAJOR rewrite of PHP but it would help. You could proly skip version 6 and just call it 7 or 8. LOL Heck, someone could proly write classes to do this but the extra overhead would be to much for something major. Maybe have this a off-shoot of PHP, like a PECL package or something.

I'm thinking of more but that'll do it for now.

planetsim

Getting a bit ahead of yourself arent you? PHP 5 is still quite a recent release and PHP 6 hasnt even been thought of yet and wont be for years to come.

PHP 5 will probably have quite a number of changes during the next couple of years, so I dont think you can start making any suggestions until such a time as PHP 6 is thought of.

rpanning

Just thought I'd get it out there. I know PHP 5 was just released and PHP 6 is a long ways away. This is just sort of a wish list for future PHP versions.

Shrike

I think a wish list for future releases of PHP 5 would be more appropriate. Personally I would like to see a huge expansion of the SPL (already in progress I think), and tighter PEAR integration 🙂

Weedpacket

Originally posted by Shrike
I think a wish list for future releases of PHP 5 would be more appropriate.

Seeing the implementation of __toString() completed (scheduled for 5.1).

Merve

better XML support. Using XML and PHP together is confusing right now....well, without the help of PEAR classes, I guess. But then come compatibility issues...

Sxooter

I'd be happy to just have postgresql error numbers returned instead of just messages... There's been a patch fo > year that the developers know about, but it'snever been applied.

csn

Yeah, I'd like to see more consistency in PHP and all its libraries. But that's not too likely to happen since they're an amalgamation of third parties. Hell, switching to PHP 5 is a bit of a drag because numerous third parties' tools like accelerators haven't been updated to work with it.

I'd like to see PHP more like Java or C#.Net. Powerful class libraries and powerful languages. And a powerful IDE like VS.Net. And good frameworks like Struts (PHP has similar frameworks, but they all seem to be half-done). But since it's all youngish volunteers, PHP will probably always be somewhat rag-tag.

One of the most requested features for PHP appears to be namespaces. I think they actually briefly included it in alphas/betas of PHP 5, but removed it because it was buggy and/or incomplete.

planetsim

There already is an IDE made by Zend it costs about $800 if my memory serves me correctly.

As for PHP more like Java and C#. I wouldnt want it getting it that way, Java is confusing enough for a beginner to learn as there are so many Classes. Also people already say PHP is similar to Java.

piersk

Originally posted by planetsim
There already is an IDE made by Zend it costs about $800 if my memory serves me correctly.

Actually, it's US$249

and is damn good...

planetsim

🙂 maybe thats another thing Zend has thats $800. But yea it is quite good Ive heard, but never used it.

rpanning

I thought of another, the ability to load two versions of PHP as a Apache module. Proly something like:

# PHP 5
LoadModule php5_module "C:/php/php5apache2.dll"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

# PHP 6
LoadModule php6_module "c:/php/php6apache2.dll"
AddType application/x-httpd-php6 .php6

Weedpacket

Originally posted by rpanning
I thought of another, the ability to load two versions of PHP as a Apache module.

You mean you can't any more? I know 3 and 4 can, but haven't had cause to try at all myself.

bubblenut

Not tried it myself but here's one way. Here's another way that I haven't read yet (I'm saving it for lunch), sorry if it's exactly the same.

Weedpacket

Operator overloading. This is being considered for Java and may be a bit trickier to implement in PHP. But I'd still like to have it: it would be nice to have $foo = $thing1+$thing2; work where $thing1 and $thing2 are instances of some class (presumably representing numbers of some sort).

piersk

Originally posted by planetsim

You might be thinking of Zend Platform. That retails at $995 per year...

rpanning

Originally posted by bubblenut
Not tried it myself but here's one way. Here's another way that I haven't read yet (I'm saving it for lunch), sorry if it's exactly the same.

This requires you to compile the source yourself. I was looking more towards having the binarys already setup for this on PHP's download page. That way people who don't have compilers, Windows, can do this.

The other one runs Apache twice, one on port 80 and the other on 81. This also isn't what I was looking for.

sneakyimp

ok...i seem to recall being chastised for suggesting this, but I figure why not. Somebody was telling me it's outside of PHP's domain....

but how about some sort of upload progress indicator?

Weedpacket

http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10248788

pohopo

i would like some integrated ability that lets you compile your functional/class layer. this way your classes are more protected, the server does not need to compile the classes on the fly, yet you still have the uncompiled dhtml/presentation so a graphic web designer can still make presentation changes.