My advice:
This needs to happen in structured, organized steps with each step focusing
a major system or subsystem. A few examples of systems or subsystems:
- Language Syntax (please use a formally defined grammar!)
- Error levels
- Primitive types
- Array Model
- Object Model
- PHP Test model
I'd propose that initially the specifications do not alter from the current
de facto Zend standard. I'd also add the phpt tests with a way to run them
to ease compliance with new implementations.
Once everything is clearly outlined (which is a lot of work) the *hard*
work begins: getting all the implementation vendors to talk about a new
draft to overcome current Zend challenges.