Merge pull request #1000 from NullVoxPopuli/make-array-built-in

Author: achambers

text/1000-make-array-built-in.md

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+---
+stage: accepted
+start-date: 2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z
+release-date: # In format YYYY-MM-DDT00:00:00.000Z
+release-versions:
+teams: # delete teams that aren't relevant
+  - framework
+  - learning
+  - typescript
+prs:
+  accepted: https://github.com/emberjs/rfcs/pull/1000
+project-link:
+suite: 
+---
+
+<!--- 
+Directions for above: 
+
+stage: Leave as is
+start-date: Fill in with today's date, 2032-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
+release-date: Leave as is
+release-versions: Leave as is
+teams: Include only the [team(s)](README.md#relevant-teams) for which this RFC applies
+prs:
+  accepted: Fill this in with the URL for the Proposal RFC PR
+project-link: Leave as is
+suite: Leave as is
+-->
+
+# Make `(array)` a built in helper 
+
+## Summary
+
+Today, when using gjs/gts/`<template>`, in order make arrays in templates, folks _must import_ the `(array)` helper.
+Because creating arrays is fairly commonplace, this is an annoyance for developers, in part, due to how almost every other language has array literal syntax.
+
+This RFC proposes that `(array)` be built in to `glimmer-vm` and not require importing.
+
+## Motivation
+
+Arrays and Objects are not only very common to create, they are essential tools when yielding data out of components.
+
+There is alternate motivation to implement _literals_ for arrays and objects, but that is a bigger can of worms for another time.
+
+## Detailed design
+
+This change would affect strict-mode only. This is so that today's existing code that imports `array` from `@ember/helper` will still work due to how values defined locally in scope override globals.
+
+The behavior of `array` would be the same as it is today, but defined by default in the `glimmer-vm`.
+
+Being built in can give folks confidence that each element in the array is individually reactive.
+
+## How we teach this
+
+Once implemented, the guides, if they say anything about gjs/gts/`<template>` and `array` by the time this would be implemented, would only remove the import.
+
+The guides should also detail which functions are built in to the framework and, therefore, do not need to be imported.
+
+## Drawbacks
+
+People may not know where `array` is defined.
+- counterpoint: do they need to?
+
+## Alternatives
+
+n/a
+
+## Unresolved questions
+
+n/a