[PHP-DEV] Re: [RFC] [Discussion] Literal Scalar Types

On Thu, 23 Jul 2026 at 06:47, Seifeddine Gmati <[email protected]> w=
rote:
>
> On Thu, 23 Jul 2026 at 06:13, Seifeddine Gmati <[email protected]>=
 wrote:
>>
>> Subject: Re: [RFC] Literal Scalar Types
>> On Mon, 15 Jun 2026 at 02:22, Seifeddine Gmati <[email protected]=
> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello Internals,
>>>
>>> I'd like to start the discussion on a new RFC adding literal scalar
>>> types to PHP.
>>>
>>> - RFC: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/literal_scalar_types
>>> - Implementation: https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/22314
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Seifeddine.
>>
>>
>> Hi internals,
>>
>> I have updated the Literal Scalar Types RFC to version 1.0, which I cons=
ider the final revision: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/literal_scalar_types
>>
>> The changes are editorial, based on feedback in this thread. I merged th=
e "Accepted literal syntax" section into the per-type sections so each lite=
ral kind is described in one place, added a paragraph to the introduction o=
n where literal types fit next to enums, tightened the reasoning in the mat=
ching semantics section, and added a short note on enum comparisons to the =
Performance section. The proposal itself is unchanged: the syntax, the sema=
ntics and the three votes are the same as in 0.3.
>>
>> Since this is a minor revision, I am opening voting shortly. A separate =
[VOTE] thread will follow.
>>
>> Thanks to everyone who took part in the discussion.
>>
>> Seifeddine
>
>
> Hello internals,
>
> A procedural update, following my retraction in the [VOTE] thread.
>
> Earlier I opened voting on this RFC without meeting the prerequisites: no=
 Intent to Vote had been posted two days in advance, and the 1.0 update I a=
nnounced earlier is a Minor change, which starts a seven-day Cooldown Perio=
d. I retracted the vote. The widgets are closed, and the RFC is back to Und=
er Discussion. The text is unchanged since the 1.0 announcement and I inten=
d to keep it frozen until the vote.
>
> Please consider this message my formal Intent to Vote. The Cooldown Perio=
d ends on July 30, and I plan to reopen the vote that morning (UTC), runnin=
g for the standard fourteen days within the Intent to Vote lifetime.
>
> One open question is the PHP 8.6 feature freeze. A vote opened on July 30=
 closes on August 13, the day of beta1, and the tag is created on August 11=
, so a merge would happen during the beta period and needs Release Manager =
approval. I am checking with the 8.6 RMs whether that is acceptable. If it =
is not, I will retarget the RFC to PHP 8.7 (or 9.0?) instead. Retargeting c=
hanges the voting widgets, so it would be announced here as a change, trigg=
er its own Cooldown Period, and be followed by a fresh Intent to Vote, with=
 no deadline pressure.
>
> Thanks for your patience.
>
> Seifeddine.

Hello internals,

An update on timing: this RFC will no longer target PHP 8.6.

I asked the 8.6 Release Manager about the feature freeze. The
effective cutoff is not the beta1 announcement on August 13 but the
creation of the beta1 tag, which happens on Tuesday, August 11,
mid-morning US Central time. A vote opened today would close on August
13, after the tag exists, so inclusion in 8.6 is not possible. I will
therefore not reopen the vote, and the Intent to Vote I posted on July
23 is withdrawn.

I have retargeted the RFC to the next PHP version, whether that is 8.7
or 9.0. RFC text is otherwise unchanged and remains final:
https://wiki.php.net/rfc/literal_scalar_types

Seifeddine