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Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 12:08:47 +0300
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] RFC: allow_call_pass_by_reference
From: sv_forums@fmethod.com ("Stan Vassilev | FM")


Hi,

There is a use case for the function allowing *explicitly* call-time pass by 
reference, because the function works both ways in subtly different ways.

I have some libraries where I had to have variations of the functions like 
"AbcByRefr()" and "Abc()", because of this inflexibility.

In a perfect world, here's how I'd do it, of course the actual syntax can be 
something else (this also improves the understanding of the code as it makes 
the intent explicit, versus implicit at call time, as it is now):

---

function foo(& $a) {} // allows only explicit pass by reference

foo($a); // illegal, error
foo(& $a); // legal, pass by reference

---

function bar($a) {} // forbids pass by reference

foo($a); // legal, pass as 'copy'
foo(& $a); // illegal, error

---

function baz(&? $a) {} // acknowledges that it functions properly and 
accepts both ways

foo($a); // legal, pass as 'copy'
foo(& $a); // legal, pass as reference

---

Regards,
Stan Vassilev


> On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 10:46 PM, LEW21 <lew21st@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Sometimes call time pass by reference is useful, for example when you
>> want to make it possible to omit an param (normally passed by
>> reference) by setting null. With no call time pass by reference,
>> programmers are required to write:
>>
>> $null = null;
>> foo($null);
>
> what stops you from declaring:
>
> function someFunc(&$param = null)
> {
> }
>
> it works just fine
>
>
>> Deleting it isn't a good idea, it should become a normal (not
>> deprecated) language feature.
>
>
> -- 
> Alexey Zakhlestin
> http://blog.milkfarmsoft.com/
>
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