[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #36335: Next generation: core autoloader proposal

[WordPress Trac]

#36335: Next generation: core autoloader proposal
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 Reporter:  dnaber-de        |       Owner:
     Type:  feature request  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal           |   Milestone:  4.7
Component:  General          |     Version:
 Severity:  normal           |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch        |     Focuses:
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Comment (by MikeSchinkel):

 I've attached a strawman classmap generator and example output showing how
 classmaps can easily be generated without the need for Composer.

 The next step would be to implement a simple classmap autoloader to be
 required at the beginning of `wp-settings`.

 I would propose as another strawman that we create `wp-includes/classes`
 and `wp-admin/classes` directories and slowly start moving classes that we
 want to autoload into those two directories, renaming their files to match
 their classname.

 So for example:

 {{{
 /wp-includes/class-wp-editor.php
 }}}

 Would be moved to:

 {{{
 /wp-includes/classes/_WP_Editors.php
 }}}

 Once all classes were moved into those directories then classmap
 generation could be handled automatically ''(if desired)'' in a
 `'shutdown'` hook when a constant was set to true, e.g.
 `WP_GENERATE_CLASSMAP`

 In addition I would envision adding a `register_autoload_dir()` that would
 allow plugins and themes to register their own autoload directories and
 this would allow WordPress to auto-generate their classmaps as well.

 I intend to work on this after I finish some other time-critical projects.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/36335#comment:177>
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