[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #60414: Core PHP autoloader proposal

[WordPress Trac]

#60414: Core PHP autoloader proposal
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 Reporter:  aristath                 |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement              |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                   |   Milestone:  Future Release
Component:  General                  |     Version:
 Severity:  normal                   |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch has-unit-      |     Focuses:  performance,
  tests early                        |  sustainability
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Comment (by peterwilsoncc):

 > But is it beneficial to the majority of users?
 >
 > These are the questions to answer IMO.

 Coming back to @hellofromTonya's question, I've been considering where
 this could be beneficial beyond developers:

 1. Performance: if it is shown that the performance of the front-end of a
 site improves with an autoloader then it becomes a benefit for all users.

 2. Increased likelihood of catching bugs in Gutenberg and other feature
 plugins.

 While the Core (and, I imagine, theme and plugin teams) wouldn't want
 developers overridding core classes, it could prove beneficial for
 features developed via a plugin.

 In Gutenberg and other feature plugins, core classes are often extended
 and essentially replaced during the development process. For example
 [https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/a89527495af5969b7a5670e6814a06682543ae14/lib/compat/wordpress-6.6
 /class-gutenberg-rest-templates-controller-6-6.php
 Gutenberg_REST_Templates_Controller_6_6 extends
 WP_REST_Templates_Controller] and subsequently replaces the endpoint.

 This often complicates the merge process and increases the risk that a bug
 will be introduced during that process or an order of operations issue is
 discovered post merge.

 If feature plugins can override the core classes, then I think it's a
 benefit to users when it comes to the stability of code eventually merged
 in to WordPress-Develop.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60414#comment:46>
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