Detecting if a null variable exists?

Is it just me or are we missing a way in the language to check if a variable that has been set to NULL exists or not? is_null() on an unset variable throws a NOTICE. $var === null throws a notice. So, you have to use isset()? But, ah, $var = null; if(isset($var)) yields false. Is array_key_exists("var", $GLOBALS) the only solution to this problem? Seems silly. perhaps an var_exists() function is needed to fill this hole? -- Brian. -------- http://brian.moonspot.net/