====== PHP RFC: Change var_export() array syntax to use shorthand arrays ======
  * Version: 1.0
  * Date: 2020-03-29
  * Author: Sherif Ramadan, googleguy@php.net
  * Status: Under Discussion
  * First Published at: http://wiki.php.net/rfc/var-export-array-syntax



===== Introduction =====
This RFC proposes to change var_export()'s array syntax to use the new short-hand arrays first introduced in PHP 5.4. The old array() construct is a kludge and is unappealing. The shorter syntax may be easier to read and takes up less space and is also more ubiquitous with JSON notation.

===== Proposal =====
This change proposes adding a third optional argument for ''var_export()'' and 3 new bit-wise flags as follows:

  - VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY
  - VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX
  - VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT

''VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY'' triggers the short-hand syntax for arrays which affects all 3 cases (arrays, stdClass objects, other classes objects). ''VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX'' will discard sequential numbered indexes starting from 0, which is currently the default behavior to include them. ''VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT'' will compact the output to one line rather than adding the additional new line characters at each stage.

Each option can be used alone, and can also be combined with other(s).


For example, <php>var_export([1, 2, 3]);</php> produces

<code php>
array (
  0 => 1,
  1 => 2,
  2 => 3,
)
</code>

and the new <php>var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY);</php> would produce

<code php>
[
  0 => 1,
  1 => 2,
  2 => 3,
]
</code>

This would affect ''stdClass'' and other classes objects as well since they are exported using array literals (for ''(object)'' casting or ''%%__set_state()%%'' call) and they use the long-form array syntax above.

So the following changes would also be in effect:

<code php>
$obj = new stdClass;
$obj->foo = "bar";
$obj->baz = "quix";

var_export($obj);
/*
(object) array(
   'foo' => 'bar',
   'baz' => 'quix',
)
*/

var_export($obj, false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY);
/*
(object) [
   'foo' => 'bar',
   'baz' => 'quix',
]
*/
</code>

Same for other classes:

<code php>
class Foo {
    public $bar = "baz";
}

var_export(new Foo);
/*
Foo::__set_state(array(
   'bar' => 'baz',
))
*/

var_export(new Foo, false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY);
/*
Foo::__set_state([
   'bar' => 'baz',
])
*/
</code>

Using the other bitwise flags you could also do things like...

<code php>
var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX);
/*
array (
  1,
  2,
  3,
)
*/

var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT);
/*
array (0 => 1, 1 => 2, 2 => 3)
*/
</code>

and combine them...

<code php>
var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY | VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX);
/*
[
  1,
  2,
  3,
]
*/

var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY | VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT);
/*
[0 => 1, 1 => 2, 2 => 3]
*/

var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX | VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT);
/*
array (1, 2, 3)
*/

var_export([1, 2, 3], false, VAR_EXPORT_SHORT_ARRAY | VAR_EXPORT_NO_INDEX | VAR_EXPORT_COMPACT);
/*
[1, 2, 3]
*/
</code>

===== Backward Incompatible Changes =====
There shouldn't be any backwards incompatible changes as ''var_export()'' will continue to produce valid PHP code such that ''var_export()'' to PHP and PHP back to ''var_export()'' will continue to work as expected. The syntax changes are all forwards compatible as of PHP 5.4 so we shouldn't see any issues here.

===== Proposed PHP Version(s) =====
PHP 8.0

===== RFC Impact =====
==== To SAPIs ====
None.

==== To Existing Extensions ====
None.

==== To Opcache ====
None.



===== Future Scope =====
None.

===== Proposed Voting Choices =====
To vote will be to either change ''var_export()'''s array syntax to use the new short hand syntax or do not implement the change at all. I am not including an option to keep the old behavior, because I don't think it necessary. The change is forwards compatible and the old behavior should have zero effect on the outcome of the function's intent to produce valid PHP code. It is merely for aesthetics at that point.

===== Patches and Tests =====
The change only requires changing two lines in ''ext/standard/var.c'' (lines 530 and 540) to replace ''array ('' and '')'' with ''['' and '']''.

See https://heap.space/xref/php-src/ext/standard/var.c?r=a9398056#530-540 for reference.

===== Implementation =====

===== References =====
https://heap.space/xref/php-src/ext/standard/var.c?r=a9398056#530-540

https://news-web.php.net/php.internals/109415

https://externals.io/message/109415#109415

===== Rejected Features =====