PHP RFC: Your Title Here

• Version: 0.9
• Date: 2015-01-31
• Author: Yasuo Ohgaki yohgaki@ohgaki.net
• Status: Under Discussion
• First Published at: http://wiki.php.net/rfc/deprecate_ini_set_get_aliases

There are number of INI set/get functions. This RFC proposes deprecation of these functions.

Use of ini_set()/ini_get() simplifies/improves PHP. PHP needs no more INI set/get aliases at least, document use of ini_get()/ini_set() in the CODING_STANDARDS.

Pros - Less API, hence simpler API. - Modules will be less buggy.

  i.e. PHP_INI_MH() must handle "state" properly, but it tends to be forgotten, 3rd party modules especially. 

- Consistent coding style/API across modules, both internal and script. - Reduced documentations. INI descriptions are only in INI section. - Less documentations, hence less documentation bugs. - Better documentation. All user needs to know will be in INI section. - Awareness of INI setting use. Users are better to know they are using INI. i.e. All INI values has the same limitations, INI_SYSTEM/INI_PERDIR/INI_USER, stage limitations if any. - (Please point it out more advantages)

Cons - Existing code modifications. (It's E_DEPRECATED. User may ignore.) - (Please point it out more disadvantages)

1. Add plain ini_get/set() usage in CODING_STANDARDS. In the “Code Implementation” session add following standard.

10.  Use ini_set()/ini_get() function when modules need to change INI values. Do not add simple ini_set()/ini_get()
     alias functions.

2. Document INI set/get alias functions.

e.g.

- http://php.net/manual/en/function.session-save-path.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.session-module-name.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.session-cache-expire.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.session-cache-limiter.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.session-name.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.gc-enable.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.set-include-path.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.set-time-limit.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.error-reporting.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.mb-internal-encoding.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.mb-detect-order.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.mb-language.php - http://php.net/manual/en/function.iconv-set-encoding.php - And more.

3. Raise E_DEPRICATE errors for INI set/get alias functions.

1. None for CODING_STANDARD documentation.

2. None for deprecation documentation in the manual.

3. E_DEPRECATE error may be ignored

- PHP 7.0

No SAPI impact.

Modules that has INI set/get aliases are affected.

- standard - session - mbstring - iconv - (and more)

No Opcache impact.

No constant.

No changes for INI values.

• hardcoded default values
• php.ini-development values
• php.ini-production values

None.

Functions that are not simple INI set/get aliases are not affected.

None. If proposal 3 (Add E_DEPRECATE error) is rejected, adding E_DEPRECATE error will be future decision.

Proposals require 50%+1 majority

No patch is prepared as this is a trivial change.

After the project is implemented, this section should contain

1. the version(s) it was merged to
2. a link to the git commit(s)
3. a link to the PHP manual entry for the feature