> I'm saying that the DX for writing extensions is better in other languages.
Citation needed. Java's extension API is certainly a hot mess. Python's is fine, but ultimately has similar pitfalls to PHP's. Go's looks very nice at first blush, but given that it's closer to an FFI than a proper extension API, shortfalls inevitably show up when you try to do anything complex. I'd also point out that PHP's extension API isn't stagnant. The stub generation improvement of just a few years ago significantly improved the process of writing extensions. > And that these days new products come along and provide extensions for > other languages but not PHP. Which is a problem I can only work around by > writing an extension. Okay. Why is this a problem? This is what's right about OSS. That you can take two things and smush 'em together because you need something from both. > PHP now has FFI which provides an easier way to extend PHP. I have huge > hopes for it - but in my experience it doesn't feel finished. I agree, it's not finished. But the problem there is also the opportunity. OSS works best when people who have an actual need are the ones designing the interfaces and making things better. I don't pay attention to FFI because I can write PHP extensions on a my mobile, while sitting on an island beach and playing board games (true story). I know that's not universally true, but it's why I'm not putting the effort in, because I'll end up building the wrong solution by not truly understanding the requirements (also a true story, take a look at streams sometime). If it feels like FFI is stalled, it's probably because it's "good enough" for the people who got it to this point. The itch is scratched and the need is met. So when I call the state of FFI an opportunity, I'm not saying "code or gtfo" as such is sometime vilified. I'm saying this is an open source project of the purest kind and it really is up to someone to care about a thing enough to put in the work to make it better. And if your reply is, "But I don't know C", then good news! That's another opportunity. PHP is a nice language, but it's not the only one out there. C is a mother language, the payoff on learning just keeps coming around. -Sara -- PHP Internals - PHP Runtime Development Mailing List To unsubscribe, visit: https://www.php.net/unsub.php
