#[Reaped]? #[Pooled]?
PHP 8.4 was a game changer for PHP, and not just syntactically. Lazy/ghost objects, and the ability to reset them, is the 1st real opportunity we've had to manage memory in long-running PHP.
Hot take: the more recent focus on functional and generics are just adding to the maintenance burden and moving the focus in the wrong direction.
Fluent method chaining and PHPStan get us most of the way there; the rest is a trade off for very little net gain.
Can we circle back and focus on what's already there -- what PHP8 through 8.4 already gave us?
Some example ideas:
`#[Reaped]` or `#[Pooled]`
Gives class memory back or frees it to be reused.
(ZMM challenges aside)
`#[Stacked]` or `#[Record]`
Stack-allocated objects, and the semantics to go along with it.
__lazy() and/or __ghost()
Provides a lazy/ghost constructor - likely providing helpful args passed in, respectively.
Easier said than done..I'm aware.
It seems the direction of the language is a bit ADD at this point though.
PIE is now finding its footing too.
With some thoughtful leverage and iteration, PHP could really find its own stride.. instead of becoming C#'s slower cousin. The '$' that embodies PHP spirit is slowly becoming '$$$'.
Rant over...thx for reading