RE: [PHP-LANG] Approaching the First Draft [of a language spec]

>> Thus, what we need is a descriptive specification, rather than a defining
>> specification.  Much like the ANSI C++ spec is or at least used to be
>> useless because not a single compiler in existence implemented it (and is
>> thus rather useless for practical purposes), defining a spec that is not
>> backed up by the existing implementation would be useless for end users.
>
>    Well, C++ has been basically reinvented during the
>    standardization process. I don't see this happening with PHP.
>    The base for this specification will be PHP 3/the Zend
>    engine, so you don't really need to fear that the Zend engine
>    and the specification will be incompatible.
>
>    I'm not sure how the end-user will be able to benefit from a
>    list of syntactical rules. Can you elaborate what you have in
>    mind?

I find myself most often reading the source of PHP when I want an answer to
a question regarding syntax rather than going to the documentation.  I think
it would be great for the end user to have a syntax sheet showing them what
is legal PHP and what isn't legally PHP as both a reference and as learning
tool.  It also is a way of guaranteeing the users "this will work", this is
valid PHP syntax and this won't work, this is not valid syntax.

-Sterling