type hints

[Andreas Mokros]

Did you consider adding type hints to php output?

[Aleksandr Kuzmenko]

I did and had to refuse using hints.
E.g. this is a perfectly valid code which returns null

function get () : some.MyClass {
    return null;
}

With type hinting it will be generated like this:

function get() : MyClass {
   return null;
}

And you will get runtime erorr trying to call this method:

PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Return value of Test::get() must be an instance of \some\MyClass, null returned

The same applies to function arguments

[Aleksandr Kuzmenko]

IMO generated docblocks are good enough to let IDE (like phpStorm) provide correct autocompletion on generated code

[Andreas Mokros]

I see. I this just a problem with null or is there more to it?
I haven't really used type hint so far, don't know if they are useful at all.

[Aleksandr Kuzmenko]

They help to pinpoint type-related bugs early when using PHP.
But it's hard to get type-related bugs with Haxe )

[Aleksandr Kuzmenko]

So, no type-hinting in generated php code for now