TalkPHP - What does this function do?

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Dave	03-15-2010 09:36 PM

What does this function do?

Could someone briefly explain this function?

PHP Code:


		
			
function l($var) 

{

    global $l;

    return $l[$var];

}

Thanks!

delayedinsanity

03-15-2010 10:46 PM

php Code:

$l = array( 'one' => 'value for one', 'two' => 'value for two' );

// These both assign 'value for one' to $value
$value = $l['one'];
$value = l( 'one' );

It's just an overcomplicated method to return a value of $l based on its key. It's also a waste of resources, considering it has to first retrieve $l from the global namespace, and then just pipes back a value that you could have easily gotten on your own (as illustrated above). It doesn't perform any error checking to see if the value exists and return a default if it doesn't, which is the only reason I could see it being useful.

sketchMedia

03-16-2010 10:35 AM

Well that's one of the most pointless functions I have seen in a good long while. Not only have you got the extra and unnecessary function call overhead, your also using a global variable, which as we all know can be linked to global warming and 3rd world debt.

Dave	03-16-2010 01:17 PM

I thought that had all been disproved, and Al Gore had switched to .NET.

delayedinsanity

03-16-2010 03:00 PM

Al Gore created .NET, but he uses Basic.

3rd world countries have debt? I thought we gave them the option to offer up their first born sons to the Masons and then we supported them with supplies of AK-47s to handle any dissidents?

Dr John

03-18-2010 02:56 PM

Al Gore helped with the funding for .NET, long before global variables came along to personally help programmers.

cerealgirl

03-20-2010 11:10 PM

And isn't thisfunction a shining example of why we should comment our code and select logical function names...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave (Post 30243)

Could someone briefly explain this function?

PHP Code:


		
			
function l($var) 

{

    global $l;

    return $l[$var];

}

Thanks!

Ummm, I'm pretty sure it's a variable variable - basically a way to have a dynamically named variable. Here they are in the manual http://php.net/manual/en/language.va...s.variable.php
Cool though they may be, I never use variable variables, because they're a bit confusing - they save a few lines of code but lose maintainability and readability IMHO.

Enfernikus

03-21-2010 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cerealgirl (Post 30272)

And isn't thisfunction a shining example of why we should comment our code and select logical function names...

Ummm, I'm pretty sure it's a variable variable - basically a way to have a dynamically named variable. Here they are in the manual http://php.net/manual/en/language.va...s.variable.php
Cool though they may be, I never use variable variables, because they're a bit confusing - they save a few lines of code but lose maintainability and readability IMHO.

Brackets not curly braces.

delayedinsanity

03-21-2010 05:40 AM

php Code:

foreach ( $_POST as $key => value )
    $_POST[$key] = my_sanitize( $value, $args );

extract( $_POST );

// or

foreach ( $_POST as $key => $value )
    ${$key} = my_sanitize( $value, $args );

No readability lost there. :) Not exactly the best use case example in the world, but in the end variable variables are just helpful shortcuts for those who like them.

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