Grabbing Arbitrary Amount of Function Arguments by Reference

[Curtis]

Hello everyone:

Recently, I've come across the need to accept an arbitrary amount of
arguments in my function, but I also need to alter the data in the
calling scope.

I have been trying to toy around with the func_get_args function,
however, it seems the data is copied before I can access it, as I
tried to globalize the values in the argument array and use
references, but neither worked.

I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction or
provide any illumination on this subject.

Curtis

[Janwillem Borleffs]

Curtis wrote:

I have been trying to toy around with the func_get_args function,
however, it seems the data is copied before I can access it, as I
tried to globalize the values in the argument array and use
references, but neither worked.

As a workaround, you can pass the function a single array or object by
reference:

function modify(&$object) {
$object->a = strtoupper($object->a);
}

$object = new stdClass;
$object->a = 'a';
modify($object);
print $object->a; // A

Note that when passing an object, it's passed by reference by default in PHP
5.
JW

[Curtis]

Janwillem Borleffs wrote:

Curtis wrote:

>I have been trying to toy around with the func_get_args function,
however, it seems the data is copied before I can access it, as I
tried to globalize the values in the argument array and use
references, but neither worked.

As a workaround, you can pass the function a single array or object by
reference:

function modify(&$object) {
$object->a = strtoupper($object->a);
}

$object = new stdClass;
$object->a = 'a';
modify($object);
print $object->a; // A

Note that when passing an object, it's passed by reference by default in PHP
5.
JW

Ahh, thank you, I like your approach. Not sure why my mind was set on
varargs.

Thanks for the help,
Curtis, http://dyersweb.com

[Schraalhans Keukenmeester]

Curtis wrote:

Hello everyone:

Recently, I've come across the need to accept an arbitrary amount of
arguments in my function, but I also need to alter the data in the
calling scope.

I have been trying to toy around with the func_get_args function,
however, it seems the data is copied before I can access it, as I tried
to globalize the values in the argument array and use references, but
neither worked.

I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction or
provide any illumination on this subject.

Curtis

Not so elegant as the solution Janwillem provided, but a useable
workaround I once used:
<?PHP
function foo (&$v1,&$v2,&$v3,&$v4,&$v5,&$v6,&$v7,&$v8,&$v9,&$v1 0) {
$count = func_num_args();
for ($i=1;$i<=$count;$i++){
if (gettype(${"v$i"})=='integer') {
${"v$i"}+=1;
}
}
return true;
}

$a=1;
$b=3;
$c=5;
$d=8;
$e='bar';
@foo ($a,$b,$c,$d,$e); // suppress warnings about missing parameters
echo "$a $b $c $d $e";
// outputs 2 4 6 9 bar
?>

I haven't been able -like you- to alter parameter values when using the
non_parameterized (is that English?) version of a function and
func_get_args(). Perhaps with some devious trickery it is possible to
find the referenced variables somewhere, somehow, but my guess is that
would not be a pure PHP solution.

Of ocurse the function is useless, but with some smart
type-checking-and-branching real nifty stuff could be constructed. I
haven't tested what the practial parameter list length limit is.

HTH

Sh