8 replies to this topic

[paolodinhqd]

php seems to have a language bug, or better called "bad convention", :thumbdown:
you can't make a method named "new" :closedeyes:

you may try this:

class abc {

     function new() {

          echo "abc";

     }

}

any idea about this? :confused:

[brutetal]

Thats because new is a keyword or modifier.
You can't use that as a name for a function.

So its not a bug.

[WingedPanther]

new is already a keyword in the language. You can't reuse it.

[paolodinhqd]

for me it's a real bug,
php is not like C, function name can be anything, there's no conflict if you choose a function name like "while", "for", "if", whatever....

It's the bad thinking of whom created php.
Another one, "empty" is also a php keyword, and you have class declaration as below:

class shopping_cart {
   function empty() {
  }
}

imagine about this case

[brutetal]

PHP is based off of C. -.-;;

[Alexander]

PHP is based off of ANSI C, and while often used is not a very code-complete language. You cannot define function names based off of such things.

PHP: The Basics - Manual

Your code:

[COLOR=#007700]class shopping_cart {
   function empty() {
   }
}[/COLOR]

Lets look at this example a little closer. Add the following lines before it:

ini_set('display_errors',1);
error_reporting(E_ALL|E_STRICT);

And it shall state an obvious error. Your error reporting looks turned off, It'd be of help to turn it on!

[Jody LeCompte]

I don't have any experience with any form of C programming: If it allows you to use identifiers already present in the language such as if/while, how do you differentiate between the two when calling that function?

As for it being a bug or "poor thinking", scripting languages are generally much more forgiving syntax-wise than programming languages. Some things have to be sacrificed for that convenience. But if not being able to use common application terms such as empty or new really bothers you, you can always apply a single or double underscore before the function name.

[WingedPanther]

paolodinhqd said:

for me it's a real bug,
php is not like C, function name can be anything, there's no conflict if you choose a function name like "while", "for", "if", whatever....

It's the bad thinking of whom created php.
Another one, "empty" is also a php keyword, and you have class declaration as below:

class shopping_cart {
   function empty() {
  }
}

imagine about this case

Almost every language has keywords that you cannot reuse. This is common, and part of learning to program is learning to respect that. It is not a language but, it's just inconvenient to you because you don't want to clarify what new thing you're doing.

[NastyDevil]

As Developers would say: it is by design. Meaning that even if it is a feature you do not agree with; it is intended to work in that manner.