Remove class constant for PHP 5.4 compatibility

[jasonlfunk]

[jasonlfunk]

What is the rationale for not supporting 5.4?

Edit: Doctrine is PHP 5.4+. https://github.com/doctrine/doctrine2

[jasonlfunk]

And even if you don't accept it for 5.4 compatibility, accept it for consistency reasons; nothing else in the package uses "::class".

[kirkbushell]

Firstly - Laravel 5.1 will be 5.5+.

Secondly, we use it throughout our tests and the package on the whole (check the service provider) so saying we don't use it elsewhere, is incorrect. If there are locations where it's not being used and it makes sense to do so, then in fact THOSE areas are being inconsistent.

[GrahamCampbell]

Firstly - Laravel 5.1 will be 5.5+.

This isn't 100% confirmed btw. I want it to be 5.5+, but Taylor doesn't seem to want to move until the 5.2 release.

[GrahamCampbell]

Also, I don't see the point in supporting php 5.4 if you want to use php 5.5 features, like we are here, even if they're only minor things.

[jasonlfunk]

@kirkbushell It is used solely in the service provider in the master and 0.6. I was looking only in the develop branch where it isn't used at all (after my change). If you are using it in the tests, I don't see it.

But regardless, the first reason would be sufficient enough - if true. If it's not true, I would suggest not abandoning it without a good reason. Especially since both doctrine and laravel currently support it.

@GrahamCampbell What other features would be lost if you had to support 5.4?

[kirkbushell]

It's mostly just syntactical sugar, but it does help when things change/get refactored. I'll chat with mitch tomorrow - though we've already had this chat before and wanted to move to 5.5, regardless of other library's official support.

[GrahamCampbell]

I agree, we shouldn't support php 5.4.

[kirkbushell]

@jasonlfunk I'll chat with Mitch - there's plenty of reason to support PHP 5.4. We'll have another chat about it - you're not the only the only one to have raised it :)