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Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 23:01:17 +0200
To: walt boring <waboring@3gstech.com>
Cc: internals@lists.php.net
Message-ID: <20030814210117.GA26541@prp0.prp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de>
References: <1060813541.901.336.camel@ali> <200308141145.38495.ilia@prohost.org> <3F3BD1D7.70209@3gstech.com> <20030814182806.GA25430@prp0.prp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de> <3F3BDC4A.20603@3gstech.com>
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] variable_exists() patch
From: swalk@prp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de (Stefan Walk)

On Thu, Aug 14, 2003 at 12:00:26PM -0700, walt boring wrote:
> It can happen quite easily.  I always develop with full warnings/errors on.

So do I.

> So if for example a var isn't set for whatever reason,  then trying to 
> access the
> variable will throw a php Notice.  variable_exists() would prevent that, 
> as does isset().

Correct, isset works.

> isset() would work for my example below, but it still is a 'broken' 
> function in my opinion.
> 
> if ($var) {  // <-- you'll get a php notice on this line
>  switch ($var) {
>    ...
>  }
> 
> }
> 
> versus doing
> 
> if (variable_exists($var))  {  //no php notices here
>  switch($var) {
>   ...
>  }
> }

As you already stated, isset works also. I asked for an occasion where
your variable_exists would be useful because isset does not work.

DB arguments don't count, if a value is null in a database it is
considered - you guessed it - not set.

I simply don't see a need for this.

-- 
Regards,
Stefan Walk
<swalk@prp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de>