Req #64266 [Opn->Nab]: Pass arrays as reference by default
Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=64266&edit=1
ID: 64266
Updated by: johannes@php.net
Reported by: stormbyte at gmail dot com
Summary: Pass arrays as reference by default
-Status: Open
+Status: Not a bug
Type: Feature/Change Request
Package: *General Issues
Operating System: Linux
PHP Version: 5.4.11
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
C has no references, but pointers which are a quite different concept. Pass by pointer is neccessary
in C to allow maximum performance. In PHP we have copy on write and prefer more intuitive APIs. When
reading foo($variable) it is unclear whether $variable will be read only or manipulated, which makes
reading code harder. By defaulting to "copies" this is lost.
Also mind that objects are not passed by reference but by handle.
To learn more please see
http://php.net/manual/en/language.references.php
http://php.net/manual/en/features.gc.refcounting-basics.php
http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.references.php
http://schlueters.de/blog/archives/125-Do-not-use-PHP-references.html
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-21 14:22:39] stormbyte at gmail dot com
Description:
------------
One of major benefits from PHP is that it is very close to C/C++ style, so it is its functions and
coding style (very similar for, while and those constructs) so if you come from C/C++ world, you
have it easy.
To keep this consistence I suggest, as well as C/C++ does, passing arrays as reference in function
arguments by default, or at least an option to behave like that.
For me, it does not make much sense to "follow" C/C++ coding styles and behaviour, while
not following that behaviour.
Furthermore, objects are already passed by reference as default, so why not arrays? IMHO I think
that inconsistence may confuse programmers.
Test script:
---------------
function foo($arr) {
array_push($arr, "test");
}
function bar(&$arr) {
array_push($arr, "test");
}
$a=array();
foo($a);
//$a is empty
bar($a);
//$a[0]="test"
Expected result:
----------------
To be consistent with the rest behaviour of "imitating" C/C++ and pass arrays as reference
automatically as well as objects are.
Also, it may be a performance gain by doing that (which is one of the reasons in C world it is that
way)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=64266&edit=1
Thread (4 messages)