To Parenthesize or Not to Parenthesize: When Do You Really Need Them for PHP Class Instantiation?

PHP Class Instantiation: The Parentheses Perplexity

In the realm of PHP, the instantiation of classes often sparks a debate: should you encase the class name in parentheses or not? It's a deceptively simple question with a surprisingly nuanced answer.

Traditionally, parentheses have been considered optional when instantiating classes without constructor parameters. Code such as $foo = new bar and $foo = new bar() were believed to be interchangeable.

However, a recent discovery suggests that there may be more to the parentheses than initially thought. In certain versions of PHP, omitting the parentheses can lead to unexpected behavior, including errors in strict mode.

While the PHP community has since adopted the stance that parentheses are indeed necessary for class instantiation, some developers still prefer to forgo them. Those who do cite improved readability and a more concise coding style as their reasons.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use parentheses when instantiating classes in PHP is a matter of personal preference. However, it's worth noting that adhering to the convention of using parentheses can prevent potential problems down the line and ensure compatibility with different versions of PHP.

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