Why do fixes of PHP Bugs/Features take so long?

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Why do fixes of PHP Bugs/Features take so long?

This may not be strictly programming-related.

How come PHP Features / Bugs that seem important(*) always take a while to be developped?

For example, in PHP most sorting functions support the SORT_LOCALE_STRING, which allows an array of elements to be sorted depending on the system's locale. Most of them, except for the super-useful array_multisort.

A bug has apparently been filed on 30 Oct 2007, more than two years ago, and its status is still 'Open'.

Is there a way to speed up the process? Maybe help in the development? (The feature I'm referring to should not take too long, as it's a feature already implemented in other sort functions)

(*) I know "important" is subjective, but this particular feature would help improve the consistency of the language...

+3 A:

Take a look at the php code base and find out for yourself. often a simple bug is not so simple under the covers. It might break existing things etc. There are millions of sites out there that depend on php. If a bug fix affects that compatibility, there is a bigger problem than the bug in the first place. The cure is worse than the cold kinda thing.

Take a look at the code for yourself.

Byron Whitlock 2009-11-09 22:44:19

Yes. This is why Microsoft provides Hotfixes as use at your own risk. At least with PHP you don't have to wait for Microsoft to fix it and have the source to fix it yourself of have someone else do it for you if you want to speed up the process.

daveangel 2010-06-03 21:08:39

+2 A:

Submitting a patch is always helpful in speeding up bug fixes

philfreo 2009-11-09 22:44:22

PHP is messed up, because it wasn't designed, it just evolved from a series of Perl libraries and quick "clever" hacks from the dawn of web programming.

Consider using Python, which is better managed and includes mature Unicode support.

For your specific task, you probably can inject custom sorting order by using custom comparison function.

yk4ever 2009-11-09 22:45:00

"Consider using [some other language entirely]" is about as helpful an answer as telling a PC user to "just get a Mac," or vice versa.

phenry 2009-11-09 22:52:37

+1 Custom comparison idea is a good one.

Byron Whitlock 2009-11-10 20:24:55

Switching between languages is much, much easier than switching between OSes and platforms. You don't need to forfeit old language, but you will learn something new.It's a shame that PHP fans react so agressively to such suggestions.

yk4ever 2009-11-13 16:34:44

In my opinion thats a general problem with open source software. Since it is mostly based on volunteer work, there are no deadlines for the developers and developers can do whatever they want. If nobody bothers fixing a bug you consider important, then nobody will fix it. And since your not a customer (as with a commercial product) but you're just one of the many users, you have little to no effect in the development trajectory.

Henri 2009-11-09 22:45:49

"you have little to no effect in the development trajectory." ... unless you actually fix it yourself, in which case you *are* the development trajectory. ;)

nickf 2009-11-09 22:49:27

My point exactly! I as a developer dont want to build everything from the ground up, I want to use existing stuff and focus on my project instead of first fixing the bugs in the libraries i use... ;)

Henri 2009-11-09 23:04:20

I don't think this is unique to PHP, any development team has his own agenda. Apparently fixing that bug doesn't make the list as "important".

Just download the PHP source and fix it yourself. If the patch is approved it will be committed by someone on the PHP team.

pablasso 2009-11-09 22:47:01

ansaurus

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Why do fixes of PHP Bugs/Features take so long?

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