Hello!
I wonder why I cannot assign arrays to constants.
According to the PHP manual:
"only scalar and null values are allowed. Scalar values are integer, float,
string or boolean values."
What is the mechanism behind this?
What's the explanation?
--
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http://tweak-it.tk/ - Personal portfolio and web-log - Barbu Paul - Gh.
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Barbu,
This is how constants work in all viable languages such as C/++.
They are not 'variables of data', they contain scalar values so that
you can have a maintainable source for your value to refer to later.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/357syhfh(v=vs.80).aspx
I believe constants come from the philosophy of 'enums' in C.
Just google some more on it.
Regards,
- Paul.
Hello!
I wonder why I cannot assign arrays to constants.
According to the PHP manual:
"only scalar and null values are allowed. Scalar values are integer, float,
string or boolean values."What is the mechanism behind this?
What's the explanation?--
Common sense is not so common - Voltaire
http://tweak-it.tk/ - Personal portfolio and web-log - Barbu Paul - Gh.
Visit My GitHub profile to see my open-source projects -
https://github.com/paullik
Barbu,
This is how constants work in all viable languages such as C/++.
I disagree. In C you can have:
const data foo[] = { { "Data1", 2 }, { "Data2", 78 } };
It's not unusual in php to have a complex structure that won't change
in a variable. It should be an array, but as array is not allowed as
content,
you need to leave it as a static variable that you won't never change.
2011/12/19 Ángel González keisial@gmail.com:
Barbu,
This is how constants work in all viable languages such as C/++.
I disagree. In C you can have:
const data foo[] = { { "Data1", 2 }, { "Data2", 78 } };
Agreed, i was more thinking of #define (not const), when setting up
values such as 'MAX_LEN', being a typical use case for PHP.
It's not unusual in php to have a complex structure that won't change
in a variable. It should be an array, but as array is not allowed as
content,
you need to leave it as a static variable that you won't never change.
Yes, I am wondering too. For mechanism you can refer to the source code,
and can someone explain why we cannot have constant arrays ?
Qiang
I guess constant array would mean that all the variables inside the array
dimensions should not change.
Just saying that, is a nonsense.
If a constant could be an array, then that array could not contain
variables, if not it wouldn't be constant any more as a change to one
variable inside it would change its own meaning value.
Julien.P
Yes, I am wondering too. For mechanism you can refer to the source code,
and can someone explain why we cannot have constant arrays ?Qiang
I guess constant array would mean that all the variables inside the array
dimensions should not change.
Just saying that, is a nonsense.If a constant could be an array, then that array could not contain
variables, if not it wouldn't be constant any more as a change to one
variable inside it would change its own meaning value.Julien.P
A constant can only contain static values. There was no mention of
variables.
Isn't a "constant" array basically the same as an Enum?
David
Okay, but those effectively don't exist in PHP ;)
Julien
I guess constant array would mean that all the variables inside the array
dimensions should not change.
Just saying that, is a nonsense.If a constant could be an array, then that array could not contain
variables, if not it wouldn't be constant any more as a change to one
variable inside it would change its own meaning value.Julien.P
A constant can only contain static values. There was no mention of
variables.Isn't a "constant" array basically the same as an Enum?
David
Hi Barbu:
I wonder why I cannot assign arrays to constants.
Do keep in mind that you can serialize() the array before storing it in
a constant. Then use unserialize(CONSTANT) when you need the data.
--Dan
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This must be some strange definition of "constant" I do not understand, then (:
On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 7:43 PM, Daniel Convissor
danielc@analysisandsolutions.com wrote:
Hi Barbu:
I wonder why I cannot assign arrays to constants.
Do keep in mind that you can
serialize()the array before storing it in
a constant. Then use unserialize(CONSTANT) when you need the data.--Dan
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4015 7th Ave #4, Brooklyn NY 11232 v: 718-854-0335 f: 718-854-0409--
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