Re: [PHP-DEV] file structure From: Zeev Suraski (zeev <email protected>)
Date: 03/31/99

At 00:37 31/03/99 -0500, Rasmus Lerdorf wrote:
>> About changing the API and directory structure at the same time, I'm not
>> sure if that was *the* problem of php 3.1 and the key to its lingering, I
>> happen to think that it didn't play a major role there. As long as we keep
>> the tree at a compilable state at all times, we can apply different kinds
>> of patches (structure and API) without significant problems. Another
>> difference from 3.1 is that I expect that php3 development would pretty
>> much slow to a halt once the php4 tree is available. It has definitely
>> been my recommendation all along, and still is.
>
>Until there is a completely open cvs tree, I don't see that happening.
>The modules will keep evolving and new ones will get added. Even when
>there is an open cvs tree, people are going to want to build modules that
>work with the existing php3 installed base. So we are going to have to do
>something to try to bring bring these two trees closer together. Perhaps
>a way to build a php3-compatible dynamic extension from the php4 tree, or
>maybe a backport of the dynamic module building code into php3. We can't
>expect people to just sit still for a few months and not do anything.

The difference in module API is actually pretty much negligible. People
can go on developing their modules and expect them to compile and work
under php4 in the same way. They'd have to have php4-specific code to take
advantage of the new features, plus, they'd have to write php4-specific
code if they work directly with arrays, not through the API functions.
This applies to pretty much all of the extensions, except for the 'core'
ones such as file.c and basic_functions.c, that truly include a lot of
functions that required php4-specific updates.

No matter how you look at it, investing time in the php3 tree right now is
IMO, a waste of time. Even if you get it working right there, it won't do
you much good since synchronizing it with the php4 tree wouldn't be easier
in any way. As I see it, we should restructure the php4 tree, and provide
people with ways to go on developing their modules regardless of the php
version. That mostly applies to SAPI related issues, it's not much of an
issue with Zend. Either way, there's no way you can change the entire tree
and only then apply API fixes, or the other way around. API changes would
*have* to be applied to the php4 source tree, since migrating them from the
php3 tree to the php4 one is a waste of time (it can pretty much mean a
near-complete rewrite).

Zeev 

--
Zeev Suraski   <zeev <email protected>>  http://www.zend.com/
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