Re: Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

Kelly,
The structure of your application will determine how much of an
issue this is. If you throw together a bunch of code and call a bunch
of functions that have been designed on the fly this can be an issue.
However, if you build small, testable pieces of code that are concise
and easy to understand, the negative implications of not having a
defined return type are very minimal. FWIW, I'm actually a proponent of
being able to define the return type (for objects) but it's never really
been an overly a significant issue for me.


Kevin Schroeder
Technology Evangelist
Zend Technologies, Ltd.
www.zend.com
www.twitter.com/kpschrade
www.eschrade.com

-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Kelly Cookson
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:27 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

I'll keep your and Joe's advice in mind. :-)

Kelly Cookson
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Dot Foods, Inc.
217-773-4486 x12676
www.dotfoods.com


-----Original Message-----
From: web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Aaron Bartell
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:06 PM
To: Web Enabling the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Why use PHP? What are the disadvantages?

I can make up a return variable name on the fly,

This one could be useful - auto declaring a variable, yet it would still
have a "locked" data type.

I can also change the type of data the function returns without having

to
change the variable definitions everywhere the function is called.

This is the dangerous one Joe is talking about. This will only cause
you
heart ache down the road IMO :-)

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
http://mowyourlawn.com/blog/


On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 4:43 PM, Kelly Cookson
<KCookson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

I like loose typing of variables because I can avoid some of the

monkey

work writing variable definitions (i.e., "WORKING-STORAGE" sections in
COBOL). PIC this, PIC that. Oops, can't move PIC X into a PIC S9

COMP-3, so

gotta use REDEFINE and recompile.

When I write a PHP function, I can make up a return variable name on

the

fly, and it doesn't matter if I'm returning characters, numbers, or

arrays.

I can also change the type of data the function returns without having

to

change the variable definitions everywhere the function is called.
Similarly, when I call a PHP function, I can make up a variable name

on the

fly to receive the output, and it doesn't matter what kind of output

is

being passed back.

But, if you want to call it laziness, guilty as charged. ;-)

Kelly Cookson
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Dot Foods, Inc.
217-773-4486 x12676
www.dotfoods.com