Re: [PHP4BETA] Re: convert_to_string_ex is not the solution.

zeev, sorry to bother you again (still) - how would one convert a function like implode to use the new API? i still think that a function like string_value() would make sense. tc On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Thies C. Arntzen wrote: > On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Zeev Suraski wrote: > > > On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Thies C. Arntzen wrote: > > > > > zeev, > > > > > > i think i do agree (mostly;-) > > > > > > but how can i write a internal function that does not change the > > > supplied parameters? if the scripter passes parameters via reference i > > > should have a way to eg find out the string value for it without > > > converting the users variable into a string! > > > > That may be true. First (at the risk of repeating myself once too many), > > you must realize this isn't a getParametersEx() or a PHP 4.0 issue, but a > > problem that's been around since the very first alpha of PHP 3.0. > > i know - the only reason i'm talking about this is that now we would have > a chance to change things! if we're implementing the getParametersEx() in > all modules we might as well get rid of this undocumented annoyance (my > personal opinion). i don't think that anybody will get bitten if > strlen(&$someint) won't convert $someint to a string in the future, do > you? > > > > > Now, there are two ways to go about this: > > > > 1. The newly introduced convert_to_*_ex() macros deliberately avoid > > separating arguments that were passed by reference (to retain the > > 'advertised' functionality). I could easily write macros (or add a flag > > to the current macros) that causes them to separate the arguments > > regardless of whether they are passed by reference or not. > > that would be nice - i would love to see a getParametersEx implementation > of the implode function. (i also start to think that i had too much stress > this week - my brain is smoking) > > > > > 2. The above solution is not comprehensive - it doesn't give you any > > tools to prevent the same thing from happening with legacy non-Ex code. > > we should be able to savely ignore that - see you own comment below (I > don't recall a single) > > > comprehensive solution would be preventing the user from passing stuff by > > reference to functions that advertise that they're not willing to take > > stuff by reference. I haven't looked at the variable passing code for a > > few months now, but it should be doable if we decide it's really > > necessary. Whether it's necessary, though, is a big question. I don't > > think people send arguments by reference just for the hell of it. > > i know a few people - including myself - who add a '&' here and there in > my scripts to speed things up. and yes, i've got bitten by funtions that > changed variable-types around without me expecting them to do so. > > > > > We've had this behavior in PHP 3.0 for 1.5 years, and I don't recall a > > single 'what the hell is going on' complaint about something of the sort > > (and just about any PHP function modifies its arguments, and they all > > happily take their arguments by reference if the user decides to do so). > > > > > > .... With PHP 4.0, the performance increase from passing by > > > > reference is gone (since passing any type of argument is only a matter of > > > > increasing reference count), but everything else still applies. > > > > > > as of now the performance increase is still there unless the internal > > > function uses getParametersEx(). > > > > True. > > > > Zeev > > i just love to make thing better/faster/whatsoever - and in this special > case i think the cost for that is not too high and "On the way". > > regards > tc > > > > > -- > > ----------------------------------------------------- > > Zeev Suraski <zeev@zend.com> > > http://www.zend.com/ > > For a PGP public key, finger bourbon@netvision.net.il > > > > > > > > > Thies C. Arntzen "One Big-Mac, Small Fries and a Coke!" > Digital Collections Phone +49 40 235350 Fax +49 40 23535180 > Hammerbrookstr. 93 20097 Hamburg / Germany > > > -- > PHP 4 Beta > > Thies C. Arntzen "One Big-Mac, Small Fries and a Coke!" Digital Collections Phone +49 40 235350 Fax +49 40 23535180 Hammerbrookstr. 93 20097 Hamburg / Germany