[development] Time for a new chapter of an endless debate

[Bèr Kessels]

Op zondag 2 juli 2006 21:47, schreef Dries Buytaert:
> I don't see the point.  Let's just continue using what makes most  
> sense in each of the individual contexts.

We can achieve a lot more consistancy (and thus a lot less code) if we settle 
for a good guildeline. 

I certainly do not agree that we should choose only one. Arrays and objects 
both make sense in lots of cases. We shouldn't try to settle for one, but use 
the programming language we have in a proper way. PHP has them both, for good 
reasons, why should we abuse the language, or not allow certain parts of a 
language to be used?

Which does not mean we should leave stuff as it is, but instead we could 
settle for a guideline.

  Look at:
  1) http://api.lullabot.com/api/HEAD/function/user_save
  2) http://api.lullabot.com/api/HEAD/function/taxonomy_save_term
  3) http://api.lullabot.com/api/HEAD/function/node_save

All three *should* do the same. Yet 1) uses an object *and* arrays, 2) uses 
only arrays, and three uses only objects. 

The guideline I proposed several times is VERY simple. And it is the way PHP 
meant it to be:

 «use objects for structured items» 
 «use arrays for lists of similar items»

Yet everytime the Arrayfetishists (sorry) Shoot that down with  theoretically 
(!) reasonings like "but arrays and objects are under-the-PHP-Hood handled 
the same", or "one performs better  then another one".
In the above examples, ALL foo_save and foo_load functions return objects. If 
you have a lot of such objects (a list of nodes, a group of users) you can 
put them in arrays. Keyed arrays if you wish. 

Bèr