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Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 17:49:45 -0500
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Subject: allow extension writers to ignore E_NOTICE warnings about unset variables
From: dante@vocalspace.com ("D. Dante Lorenso")

All,

Is there a way to define a function in an extension which would not 
require a passed in variable to exist?  In other words, can ZE be 
modified to allow extensions to not trigger E_NOTICE warnings if an 
unset variable is passed to a function which does not care if the var is 
set?

I can specify preferences about whether variables are passed by 
reference or not using macros like:

    * PHP_FE(..., first_arg_force_ref)
    * PHP_FE(..., third_arg_force_by_ref_rest)
    * PHP_FE(..., first_through_third_args_force_ref)

Which probably boil down somewhere into:

    * #define ZEND_SEND_BY_VAL     0
    * #define ZEND_SEND_BY_REF     1
    * #define ZEND_SEND_PREFER_REF 2

And I notice that if a variable is passed by reference to an extension 
function, no E_NOTICE is thrown.  Well, can we extend this concept 
further to say something like:

    * #define ZEND_SEND_WHO_CARES_IF_IT_EXISTS_OR_NOT 4

*but with a better name, of course*

Then, extension developers can write 'ifsetor', 'coalesce', and 'filled' 
as extensions (by themselves) and not need those specific functions 
added to the 'PHP core language' per-se.

Dante