rfc:calltimebyref

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rfc:calltimebyref [2008/05/21 13:29] sfoxrfc:calltimebyref [2017/09/22 13:28] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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   * Date: 2008-05-21   * Date: 2008-05-21
   * Author: Steph Fox <sfox@php.net>   * Author: Steph Fox <sfox@php.net>
-  * Status: Under Discussion+  * Status: Implemented
   * First Published at: http://wiki.php.net/rfc/calltimebyref   * First Published at: http://wiki.php.net/rfc/calltimebyref
  
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 Before PHP 4.0 was released, ''allow_call_time_pass_reference'' was introduced as a means of retaining back compatibility with PHP 3, at the point where returning by reference from a function declaration became possible [1]. By default, the INI switch has been On since inception [2]. The warning (formerly ''E_COMPILE_WARNING'' but currently ''E_DEPRECATED'') is only thrown if the INI switch is Off. You therefore need to **explicitly** switch off the directive in order to discover that the behaviour is deprecated. Before PHP 4.0 was released, ''allow_call_time_pass_reference'' was introduced as a means of retaining back compatibility with PHP 3, at the point where returning by reference from a function declaration became possible [1]. By default, the INI switch has been On since inception [2]. The warning (formerly ''E_COMPILE_WARNING'' but currently ''E_DEPRECATED'') is only thrown if the INI switch is Off. You therefore need to **explicitly** switch off the directive in order to discover that the behaviour is deprecated.
  
-At the time ''allow_call_time_pass_reference'' was introduced, php.ini-recommended was interestingly referred to as 'php.ini-optimized'. Over the years, it has become fairly standard to regard php.ini-recommended as 'production settings'; things like ''display_errors=Off'' and ''log_errors=On'' have helped this perception along. For the last 8 years, therefore, the first anyone is likely to have known about their code being less than kosher is when it went live.+At the time ''allow_call_time_pass_reference'' was introduced, php.ini-recommended was interestingly referred to as 'php.ini-optimized'. Over the years, it has become fairly standard to regard php.ini-recommended as 'production settings'; things like ''display_errors=Off'' and ''log_errors=On'' have helped this perception along. From inception, ''allow_call_time_pass_reference'' was switched ''Off'' in php.ini-recommended but ''On'' in php.ini-dist and by default. For the last 8 years, therefore, the first anyone is likely to have known about their code being less than kosher is when it went live.
  
 Even in the current php.ini-recommended, the switch is attributed only to 'Code cleanliness'. The full entry in the heading about changed settings reads: Even in the current php.ini-recommended, the switch is attributed only to 'Code cleanliness'. The full entry in the heading about changed settings reads:
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 In fact, allowing values to be passed by reference is the default behaviour in PHP, and has been from PHP 4.0 beta right up to PHP 5.3. In fact, allowing values to be passed by reference is the default behaviour in PHP, and has been from PHP 4.0 beta right up to PHP 5.3.
 +
  
 ===== Reality Check ===== ===== Reality Check =====
  
-In some circumstances, on some platforms, returning values by reference can actually speed up your code. In most cases, though - and for all when it comes to large arrays - it carries a performance penalty. If you make use of by-ref for performance reasons on a given platform, that optimization will not be portable.+In some circumstances, on some platforms, passing values by reference can actually speed up your code. In most cases, though - and for all when it comes to large arrays - it carries a performance penalty. If you make use of by-ref for performance reasons on a given platform, that optimization will not be portable. 
  
 ===== Future ===== ===== Future =====
  
-The directive is completely gone from CVS HEAD [3]. The effect of this originally was that a new-to-many ''E_STRICT'' would be thrown when values are returned by reference. However, it's been moved to ''E_DEPRECATED'' recently. In either case, it will no longer be possible to turn the warning off.+The directive is completely gone from CVS HEAD [3]. The effect of this originally was that a new-to-many ''E_STRICT'' would be thrown when values are passed by reference. However, it's been moved to ''E_DEPRECATED'' recently. In either case, it will no longer be possible to turn the warning off.
  
 ===== Proposal ===== ===== Proposal =====
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   - [3] [[http://cvs.php.net/viewvc.cgi/php-src/main/main.c?r1=1.676&r2=1.677]]   - [3] [[http://cvs.php.net/viewvc.cgi/php-src/main/main.c?r1=1.676&r2=1.677]]
  
- +==== Comments ==== 
 +currently allow_call_time_pass_reference is set to Off in both php.ini-production and php.ini-development for 5.3, and Call-time pass-by-reference was removed from 5.4, so this RFC is implemented/obsolete.
rfc/calltimebyref.1211376547.txt.gz · Last modified: 2017/09/22 13:28 (external edit)