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Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 10:13:37 -0400
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In-Reply-To: <5.1.0.14.2.20030830155931.0395a758@127.0.0.1>
Message-ID: <2627CC60-DAF4-11D7-83A8-000393030CE6@insightbb.com>
Subject: References
From: LingWitt@insightbb.com
References: <5.1.0.14.2.20030830155931.0395a758@127.0.0.1>

The current support for references is mediocre at best. For instance:

class foobar
{
	var $variable;
	
	function foobar()
	{
		$variable = "foobar";
	}
}

//This form of new assignment should be the default
$a = & new foobar();
$b = & new foobar();
$b->variable = "Hello";

$array = array(&$a, &$b);

//The foreach construct uses copies instead of references.
foreach ($array as $element)
	$element->variable = "Hi";

echo $a->variable; //echoes "foobar"
echo $b->variable; //echoes "Hello";

//In order for the above to work, a loop is required.
for ($i = 0, $count = count($array); $i < $count; $i++)
{
	$element = &$array[$i]; //shown explicitly.
	$element->variable = "Hi";
}

echo $a->variable; //echoes "Hi"
echo $b->variable; //echoes "Hi";

//Variable args are always copies,
Function foo()
{
	$args = func_get_args()
	
	//even loop doesn't work:
	for ($i = 0, $count = count($args); $i < $count; $i++)
	{
		$element = &$args[$i];
		$element->variable = "Hello";
	}
}

foo(&$a, &$b);
echo $a->variable; //echoes "Hi"
echo $b->variable; //echoes "Hi";

Thanks for your time,
											LingWitt@insightbb.com