Req #62455 [Opn->Wfx]: last chance to work with __call by reference died after removing call-time-&

[cataphract]

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62455&edit=1

 ID:                 62455
 Updated by:         cataphr...@php.net
 Reported by:        scout4u at ya dot ru
 Summary:            last chance to work with __call by reference died
                     after removing call-time-&
-Status:             Open
+Status:             Wont fix
 Type:               Feature/Change Request
 Package:            *General Issues
 PHP Version:        5.4.4
 Block user comment: N
 Private report:     N

 New Comment:

You can still pass by reference to __call using call_user_func_array().


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-06-30 19:34:29] scout4u at ya dot ru

Description:
------------
As of PHP 5.4 our content management system became not working without 
possibility to get it to life. Beacause of a bug of removing call-time passing 
by reference.

Explanation:
We have magical loading of «methods» in class as __call() - processed 
launches:

__call:
        1. seeking existing of function If it exists — then function launches 
and everything is ok.
        2. If there is no such function — it's been loaded from _functions/ 
directory:
So we have auto-loading of functions.
BUT:
        Because of __call don't support (why???) references we could call our 
methods like this:
                $sm->test( &data );

and in test-function we were be able to work BY REFERENCE. In php53 there was 
deprecations — ok, we were turning them off. BUT as of php54 we completely 
can't 
load virtual function with passing reference nohow... at all.

Ok, we can to preload function if it doesn't exist. But we already can't work 
by 
reference. So... in case of dealing with realy big array we will have to push 
that into the function and COPY back to the original. This is a huge CPU/memory 
consuming way.

Sooo... If there is no way to pass to the __call Maybe dear authors will revert 
support (even with peprecation-errors) for future times exactly untill __call 
could deal with reference (if that will never start working with reference — 
maybe there should be way to work with __call at least by passing reference in 
call-time maner?)

I belive that __call and its ability of working by reference is a criticaly 
important (maybe not so usual happen) but important thing to leave in PHP still 
working

Test script:
---------------
<?php
        class sm{
                function __call($n, $val){
                        if( !function_exists($n) )
                                include $n;
                        
                        return call_user_func($n, $val);  // call_user_func can 
not use reference either. But everything works when we pass reference call-time.
                }
        }
        $sm = new sm();

        $data = array('prop'=>1);

        function test( &$d ){
                $d['prop'] = 2;
        }

        $sm->test( &$data );  // PHP 5.2, 5.3(deprecated) $data['prop'] === 2

        //!!!!!!!!! as of PHP54 this techinique will stop working and working 
by reference to __call will not be working in all PHP-version as of 54.
        $sm->test( &$data );  // PHP 5.4(removed) fail


?>



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Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=62455&edit=1