Namespaces and Imports

A namespace prefixes each declaration in its body.

File namespace

The common form applies from its declaration to the end of the file:

namespace App\Model;

final class User {}

The class name is App\Model\User.

Braced namespace

A braced namespace limits the prefix to one block:

namespace App\Math {
  function double(int $value): int {
    return $value * 2;
  }
}

assert!(App\Math\double(21) == 42);

Declarations remain top-level even when a namespace block holds them.

Imports

use imports one symbol under its last name:

namespace App;

use Whim\DateTime\Date;
use Whim\Json;

$date = Date::from('2026-08-21');
$json = Json\encode(dict['date' => $date->toString()]);
assert!($json != '');

An alias chooses another local name:

use App\Model\User as ModelUser;

One declaration may import several names:

use Whim\HTTP\Message\Request, Whim\HTTP\Message\Response;
use Whim\HTTP\Message\{FieldMap, ProtocolVersion};

The braced form shares the prefix before {. Either form permits an alias on each item and an optional trailing comma in a braced list.

Whim uses one import form for every symbol kind. It has no use function or use const form.

Two imports cannot claim the same local name. A declaration also cannot reuse an imported local name.

Imports do not load code

use changes name lookup only. It does not read a file or run an autoloader. Whim loads code through require!, require_once!, or a registered autoloader. The next chapter covers each path.