[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #52298: Using ID as type string instead of int

[WordPress Trac]

#52298: Using ID as type string instead of int
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 Reporter:  malthert           |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)       |      Status:  closed
 Priority:  normal             |   Milestone:
Component:  General            |     Version:
 Severity:  normal             |  Resolution:  wontfix
 Keywords:  reporter-feedback  |     Focuses:
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Comment (by malthert):

 >Changing this would break every plugin and theme that uses strict types
 or strict comparison (===).

 If you take a look at what is around in the WP ecosystem (plugins), this
 is handled so inconsistently that even add filters often change the ID to
 type string (due to missing typecasting).
 Given your reasoning, all these inconsistent implementations would break
 every plugin.

 >A post ID is an integer. It's a BIGINT in the database. It's typecast
 internally because it's read from the database as a string, which is
 unfortunate, but that ship sailed fifteen years ago.

 I totally agree with you on this. The issue however is handling. The
 majority of plugins do not typecast their IDs/data they retrieve from
 wpdb, option, transient or cache (which ALL return type string) causing an
 idiotic mix of string|int.
 Thus why not make it simple for everybody and switch it to string - as
 lots (probably most) plugins already treat it as a string anyway, since
 they (almost) never typecast their stuff.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/52298#comment:4>
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