Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62162&edit=1
ID: 62162
Comment by: rpycka at gmail dot com
Reported by: lcfsoft at gmail dot com
Summary: Autoloading for namespaces
Status: Open
Type: Feature/Change Request
Package: *General Issues
PHP Version: 5.4.4RC1
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
I would also like to see this feature, especially in the context of function
autoloading and procedural programming.
1) It would make PP in PHP way more pleasant & effective (no need to spam
guards like require_once, no need for indirect dispatchers, obviously, not
loading code you don't need for particular request).
For a language that grew on procedural programming paradigm it's a shame
development in this area has been stalled for so many years (afair nothing have
changed since 4 in this regard).
2) There is a lot of code that could profit, e.g. Drupal.
3) Hacking with classes has its cons, eg. performance (what would be relative
difference between direct function call vs static method call and indirect
(callbacks)?).
4) How hard can it be? Checking for registered callback and running the
procedure before firing error.
Proposed interface by shiranai7 at hotmail dot com looks ok.
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-05-28 18:24:24] shiranai7 at hotmail dot com
lcfsoft at gmail dot com,
>>> Zend_Crypt_Math_BigInteger_Bcmath, because, you see, the functionality is
>>> IDENTICAL to what we have with Zend\Crypt\Math\BigInteger\Bcmath now.
Yes, namespaces were introduced as a better alternative to ugly identifier
prefixes. But this has nothing to do with "autoloading functions".
--
My point is that this approach is rather unusual. Bunch of class-less functions
defined in a file is like pre-php 5 procedural code. Of course I am in no
position to tell anyone what is the correct way to organise their code or even
decide whether this will get eventually implemented or not.
My proposal for this would be something like:
spl_function_autoload_register( callback(function) )
and
spl_constant_autoload_register( callback(constant) )
or
spl_ns_autoload_register( callback(namespace, property ,type) )
But still - weird, mostly useless and overkill to implement just because
someone does not like :: in his identifier.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-05-28 16:56:10] lcfsoft at gmail dot com
shiranai7 at hotmail dot com,
If your mindset towards this problem was valid we wouldn't need to have
namespaces
introduced and implemented in the first place. We would all be fine with those
Zend_Crypt_Math_BigInteger_Bcmath, because, you see, the functionality is
IDENTICAL to what
we have with Zend\Crypt\Math\BigInteger\Bcmath now.
If I need to make an abstract static class's method instead of a function to
achieve
something - it's nothing but a hack. It may work, it may work the same way -
but
it's a
hack.
So yes, I really do need that "\" instead of "::".
>> You cannot expect anything to be loaded just by an "use" statement. It just
defines a
local alias for a class or namespace. The classes get loaded only when they are
actually
used.
What you said here, however, is correct. So, yes, it may not be so trivial as
adding another
line of code.
But it's important I believe. Why limit PHP developers to classes? If you want
to know why
we shouldn't - check out any other decent programming language e.g. Python.
Yes, autoloading for classes exclusively might work before as we didn't have
any
sort of
namespaces/packages AT ALL - but now we do and this should be revisited.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-05-28 16:23:58] shiranai7 at hotmail dot com
lcfsoft at gmail dot com,
You cannot expect anything to be loaded just by an "use" statement. It just
defines a local alias for a class or namespace. The classes get loaded only
when they are actually used.
Based on your example I think that you are looking for a way to "autoload
functions". While it could possibly be handy in your case, I dont think it will
ever be an actual feature. It is not even possible to import a function or
constant through the "use" statement, so why this?
Using an abstract class is not "hacking around" in this case. Why do you need
to do this:
dispatching\dispatch(...);
if you can do this?
dispatching::dispatch(...);
The functionality is IDENTICAL, with added bonus of possible autoloading. Do
you really need that \ instead of :: ? That is the only actual difference.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-05-28 15:31:07] lcfsoft at gmail dot com
shiranai7 at hotmail dot com,
why would I use a class if I don't need a class?
Anyway, ways to hack around are well know. The idea here is that we wouldn't
need
to "hack around". Since we have namespaces - it can be done.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-05-28 14:44:46] shiranai7 at hotmail dot com
I cannot imagine any "valid" use case for this. Autoloading is designated for
classes only (that may happen to be located in a namespace). If you need
autoloading functionality for group of functions, put them as static methods
inside an abstract class.
Example:
--------
namespace MyFramework\MVC;
abstract class Dispatching
{
static public function myFunc() { ... }
// etc
}
--------
Then you can take advantage of the autoloading.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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