Explicit typing of class constants in PHP
2024-02-17T15:52:06 - Vicky Chhetri
In PHP 8.3, one of the new features is the ability to provide explicit types for class constants. This means that you can now specify a type declaration for the value of a class constant. This can help improve code clarity and make it easier to understand the expected value of the constant.
Here’s an example of how you can define a class constant with an explicit type in PHP 8.3:
class MathOperations {
public const PI: float = 3.14159;
public const MAX_ITERATIONS: int = 1000;
public const ALLOWED_OPERATIONS: array = ['add', 'substract', 'multiply', 'divide'];
}In the above example, three class constants (PI, MAX_ITERATIONS, and ALLOWED_OPERATIONS) are defined with explicit types (float, int, and array respectively).
By providing explicit types for class constants in PHP 8.3, you can ensure that the value of a constant is always of the expected type, which can help prevent bugs and improve code reliability. For instance, if you have a class constant that should always be a string, you can explicitly declare it as a string constant. If a value of a different type is assigned to the constant, PHP will throw a type error.
Explicitly typed class constants can also improve code readability and make it easier to understand the purpose of a given constant. This is especially useful when looking at code that has not been actively maintained for some time or when collaborating on a project with other developers.
It’s important to note that this feature only applies to class constants with a default value. If a constant does not have a default value, an explicit type cannot be provided.
Overall, this new feature of providing explicit types for class constants is a small but useful addition to PHP 8.3 that can potentially improve your code quality, readability, and reliability.
