Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=40296&edit=1
ID: 40296
Updated by: ras...@php.net
Reported by: mail at tobyinkster dot co dot uk
Summary: "unless" control structure
-Status: Open
+Status: Wont fix
Type: Feature/Change Request
-Package: Feature/Change Request
+Package: *General Issues
Operating System: All
PHP Version: 5.2.0
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
Any new keyword breaks BC to some extent because it will break any code that
has
an existing unless() function. I agree with others here that unless() can be
quite confusing. A negated conditional keyword lends itself to double negatives.
It also isn't a very common feature in other languages and definitely not
obvious to non-native English speaking people like myself. It is an odd word
that essentially means not-if even though it logically should be equivalent to
"more" as in the opposite of "more" would be "less" and sticking "un" in front
of it suddenly completely changes the meaning entirely.
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-07-29 20:00:40] email at philsturgeon dot co dot uk
I am surprised to see such a lack of interest on this feature request.
Ruby and Perl both have "unless", and while that is certainly not a reason on
its
own, it does show that this is used.
There are two people here saying that unless is confusing. How so? If something
matches false then do whatever. It has an else too, so if something is true it
will be used.
The main point here is not to remove a single !, but to make much cleaner
syntax.
if ( ! (isset($foo) or ($foo !== 'bar')) exit('invalid value');
or
unless (isset($foo) and $foo === 'bar') exit('invalid value');
Its a minor difference as I cannot remember a more compelling example, but
there
have been numerous times I have wished to reverse this and have unless instead
of
an extremely complex if statement.
Unless just makes sense, it's optional, it doesn't break BC, it makes syntax
easier to read in some situations and it is easy to document. If I knew enough
C
I'd send in a patch right now as PHP would be better off for having this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2011-12-30 13:50:47] joke at nakhon dot net
I vote against this request. Both perl and ruby's 'unless' confuse me so much.
It can be easy to abuse.
I often encounter someone wrote code like this:
unless a != 7
b = 3
else
b = 6
end
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2011-08-04 20:59:24] achaia3 at gmail dot com
This would be a convenient feature for sure with no down sides for anybody not
wishing to use it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2011-06-05 22:47:45] mattr dot smith at gmail dot com
I also request this feature.
Ruby has this structure too and really adds to the readability of code.
I don't see any argument at against this that is valid other than the fact that
PHP programmers don't want to change.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2007-12-31 23:19:51] michael at chunkycow dot com dot au
G'day
Perl has lots of 'features' in it, although I cannot see how an
'unless' control structure adds to anything but confusion for existing/new
developers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=40296
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