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> I'm not sure why they're adding the array_column function Isn't the function call much more readable than the comprehension? At least as a beginner, I found

by geon 14y ago

> I'm not sure why they're adding the array_column function Isn't the function call much more readable than the comprehension? At least as a beginner, I found the large set of built in functions to be one of the strongest points of PHP.

Smerity 14y ago
One major disadvantage with so many functions is the cluttered global namespace[1]. PHP only added namespaces in 5.3.0 and can't modularize their globals into namespaces without causing massive backwards compatibility problems. PHP is stuck with a polluted global namespace, I'd be wary of adding more. Mind you, I'm well aware that this feeling could just be as I'm primarily a Python coder -- in PHP, you perform array_keys($xyz) whilst in Python it's xyz.keys(). Whilst you might consider Python as cheating by pushing all the functions onto the objects, it results in a far happier global namespace[2]. As far as list comprehensions, I tend to find list comprehensions the readable and self documenting, at least in Python where I most commonly see them. If nothing else, what is the ordering of the arguments for the equivalent non list comprehension? With list comprehensions you don't have that impedance. // Python example with filter vs list comprehension // Filter requires you to remember the ordering -- // and does it filter on True or False? filter(lambda x: x % 2 == 0, range(10)) --> 0 2 4 6 8 // The list comprehension is self documenting [x for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0] --> 0 2 4 6 8 I can also convert the majority of list comprehensions into English quite easily -- "output x for each x in range(10) if x is divisible by 2" (though it may be cleaner if it was "for each x in range(10) [output x] if x is divisible by 2"). [1]: http://php.net/quickref.php http://php.net/quickref.php [2]: http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html + http://docs.python.org/library/exceptions.html http://docs.python.org/library/exceptions.html
- MarceloRamos 14y ago
  Yes what the code does is very clear, but the function call is even a level up clearer, maybe you don't want to know how it does it's job, you just want an array of values in a column (array_column(array, column)). Personally I like comprehensions, but I tend to disguise them behind a function, it's much more clear to me. (but if I need the code to be super fast, I avoid using an extra function.)
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  >PHP only added namespaces in 5.3.0 and can't modularize their globals into namespaces without causing massive backwards compatibility problems. PHP is stuck with a polluted global namespace They could do what Python did for 3.0, and make a tool similar to Python's 2to3 that replaces global namespace references.
  - sirclueless 14y ago
    That sounds like a disaster. I don't think anyone wants to follow Python's lead on breaking backwards compatibility without a very good reason. A much better reason than a cluttered namespace.
Tloewald 14y ago
If they're going to allow queries on arrays of lists -- not a bad idea -- why not simply implement a SQL subset? I can see a huge collection of new array functions...
- geon 14y ago
  Something like PHPlinq? http://phplinq.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Examples&referringTitle=Home http://phplinq.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Examples&refe...

by geon 14y ago

Smerity 14y ago

One major disadvantage with so many functions is the cluttered global namespace[1]. PHP only added namespaces in 5.3.0 and can't modularize their globals into namespaces without causing massive backwards compatibility problems. PHP is stuck with a polluted global namespace, I'd be wary of adding more. Mind you, I'm well aware that this feeling could just be as I'm primarily a Python coder -- in PHP, you perform array_keys($xyz) whilst in Python it's xyz.keys(). Whilst you might consider Python as cheating by pushing all the functions onto the objects, it results in a far happier global namespace[2]. As far as list comprehensions, I tend to find list comprehensions the readable and self documenting, at least in Python where I most commonly see them. If nothing else, what is the ordering of the arguments for the equivalent non list comprehension? With list comprehensions you don't have that impedance. // Python example with filter vs list comprehension // Filter requires you to remember the ordering -- // and does it filter on True or False? filter(lambda x: x % 2 == 0, range(10)) --> 0 2 4 6 8 // The list comprehension is self documenting [x for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0] --> 0 2 4 6 8 I can also convert the majority of list comprehensions into English quite easily -- "output x for each x in range(10) if x is divisible by 2" (though it may be cleaner if it was "for each x in range(10) [output x] if x is divisible by 2"). [1]: http://php.net/quickref.php http://php.net/quickref.php [2]: http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html + http://docs.python.org/library/exceptions.html http://docs.python.org/library/exceptions.html

MarceloRamos 14y ago
Yes what the code does is very clear, but the function call is even a level up clearer, maybe you don't want to know how it does it's job, you just want an array of values in a column (array_column(array, column)). Personally I like comprehensions, but I tend to disguise them behind a function, it's much more clear to me. (but if I need the code to be super fast, I avoid using an extra function.)
TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
>PHP only added namespaces in 5.3.0 and can't modularize their globals into namespaces without causing massive backwards compatibility problems. PHP is stuck with a polluted global namespace They could do what Python did for 3.0, and make a tool similar to Python's 2to3 that replaces global namespace references.
- sirclueless 14y ago
  That sounds like a disaster. I don't think anyone wants to follow Python's lead on breaking backwards compatibility without a very good reason. A much better reason than a cluttered namespace.

Tloewald 14y ago

If they're going to allow queries on arrays of lists -- not a bad idea -- why not simply implement a SQL subset? I can see a huge collection of new array functions...

geon 14y ago
Something like PHPlinq? http://phplinq.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Examples&referringTitle=Home http://phplinq.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Examples&refe...