Improvement: get_class_constants and get_object_constants functions

[mwillbanks]

Overview

Presently the only way to get class constants in a list is to go through the Reflection API: http://php.net/manual/en/reflectionclass.getconstants.php. While the reflection class object is great; it is also far slower than doing this directly in a zend function. Additionally it does not fit in with the current methods:

• get_class_methods
• get_class_vars
• get_object_vars

In my opinion this should be added for consistency as well as to provide a quick[er] and fast[er] way of accessing the constants of a class than having to utilize reflection for a simple call.

There was a previous ticket on this that recommended the ReflectionClass over providing methods: https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=43315 However, I still do believe that these functions are needed and are far more efficient.

Speed Differences:

Test Class

function get_reflection_constants($class)
{
    $rc = new ReflectionClass($class);
    return $rc->getConstants();
}

class MyClass {
    const CONST1 = "var";
    const CONST2 = "var";
}

echo "Reflection Class" . PHP_EOL;
$benchStart = microtime(true);
for ($c=0;$c<100000;$c++) {
    get_reflection_constants('MyClass');
}
$benchEnd = microtime(true);
$diff = $benchEnd - $benchStart;
var_dump($diff);

echo "Object Constants" . PHP_EOL;
$benchStart = microtime(true);
for($c=0;$c<100000;$c++) {
    get_object_constants(new MyClass());
}
$benchEnd = microtime(true);
$diff = $benchEnd - $benchStart;
var_dump($diff);

echo "Class Constants" . PHP_EOL;
$benchStart = microtime(true);
for($c=0;$c<100000;$c++) {
    get_class_constants('MyClass');
}
$benchEnd = microtime(true);
$diff = $benchEnd - $benchStart;
var_dump($diff);

Output:

Reflection Class
float(0.079263210296631)
Object Constants
float(0.031561136245728)
Class Constants
float(0.028576850891113)

[fruitl00p]

I've always adhered to the standard: try to avoid reflection in production code at all costs... (or cache it like crazy)
as a follower of the internals (but without Cskills / karma) i'm +1

But this might also diffuse the whole reflection use case ... no? One might even go as far as using these new methods as part of a internal rewrite of reflection and thus making my previous comment about reflection use in production moot :)

[awartoft]

+1

[mwillbanks]

Closing as there does not seem to be enough interest in creating these methods.