u/timwolla wrote up the reasoning behind two small PHP 8.6 additions: a SortDirection enum and a Time\Duration class.

The short version: a GitHub search found 150+ mutually incompatible SortDirection enums, and PHP's own stdlib expresses durations in at least six different units and formats. Putting one canonical type in core gives libraries a common language and removes the glue code between them.

The post also covers:

• Why the RFCs were intentionally kept minimal, with a clearly stated future scope
• Using new namespaces (Random\, Dom\, Uri\, Time\) to replace legacy APIs without breaking BC
• The in-discussion Time\Instant / Time\Clock RFC that builds on Duration
• How to help: testing pre-releases, accepting the new types via union types in your libraries, and weighing in on internals