[TYPO3-ect] lib: Before going to beta

[Elmar Hinz]

Fabien Udriot wrote:

> Hi everyone.
> 
> I would like to give my opinion about the eventual PHP4/PHP5 switch,
> once again.
> 
> In about 6 months, TYPO3 is going to drop *officially* the support of
> PHP4. So that's not in a long time ! It means no more bugs correction,
> some documentation update...
> 

For the admin of a single installation it's easy to switch. But many of the
smaller and bigger agencies have several customers with older
installations. They will not switch before the offical switch maybe not
before Version 5 is ready. As lib/div is ready for PHP4 AND PHP5 there is
no reason to by hasty now. Everybody can code PHP5 style right away by now.


> As it seems to be some energy this time around lib/div, my opinion is
> that we can spare us some time doing this switch *now*.

I already have invested 95% of the necassary time.

+-0

> 
> My reasons are very pragmatical. We could have the following benefits :
> 
> - the documentation is immediately the good one. Particularly the code
> examples that illustrate the concept of lib. The foreach syntax is
> easier to understand for new developers than the iterator/pointer concept.
> 

That's one good point. Documentation should be done in PHP5 style with a
small intro for PHP4.

++1

> - the kickstarter__mvc would generate right away a "good" code.

kickstarter__mvc can be done already in PHP5 style. 

+-0

> 
> - in our extension and in lib/div we could start using now the
> consistent PHP5 syntax private / public , __construct

The extension can do that already.

+-0

For lib/div it requires additional time to change it all.

--1

> 
> Again, it will take time to update all this staff in 6 months !!!
> Imagine : documentation update + code cleaning + some debugging

So we can spare this time now. The more quickly we can go to beta.

--1

> 
> I thing we are all enough busy and don't have time to waste.

Right. 

+-0

> 
> So, please, I would be thankful (and many other developers too) if this
> decision can be taken now.

My reasoning is this:

a) Today it is ready for PHP4 *AND* PHP5. 
b) Changing it now would cost me additional time now. Nobody pays me for
that.
c) Changing now reduces the possibilities and excludes many PHP4
installations from using it.
d) Not changing it, brings us the faster to beta.

The API shouldn't be changed by principle once beta has been reached. 
When we change it in 6 monthes to a plain PHP5 version, nothing is lost but 
we gain an additional PHP4 enabled candidate with a stable beta API.


Regards

Elmar