Handles for multiple output buffers?

Again, the internals list sent me to this forum for help. In trying to create a series of parsers in PHP, using only PHP core and no non-standard add-ons, I find myself emulating multiple character streams in a class that wraps the output buffer. Every time I open a new stream, I first save the current contents of the output buffer and then reset the stream. When the stream is closed, I then restore the output buffer to what it was before. I'd like more conventional 3GL behavior, where I am permitted multiple buffered streams via handles or stream objects. I see no way to do this with PHP as it stands. I also don't see anyway to emulate this without worsening the problem by creating a profusion of strings. I'm mostly able to work around the performance inefficiences of this wrapper-class approach by making the application smart about when to use a new stream. But I'd rather have native support. When can I expect to see this kind of conventional stream behavior in PHP? Are there any workaround I can use in the meantime? Thanks for your help! ~joe P.S. Again, because this listserv sends emails to me as if they originated from the person who made the post, and because I'm now guarding my email address through spamex.com, I find that I am unable to respond directly to this thread. My responses will likely appear in new a thread.