Posted by Kimmo Laine on 10/07/71 11:44

"Jerry Stuckle" <jstucklex@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:GLKdnZ0WTq631qvZnZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Kimmo Laine wrote:
>> "Emil" <emjot_wytnij_to_@podczta.onet.pl> wrote in message
>> news:e15ag1$3ee$1@news.onet.pl...
>>
>>>Is there any hope that new versions of PHP
>>>will support macros similar to C or C++?
>>>I've searched manual and didn't find anything
>>>except define directive, but it can be used
>>>to define constant values only.
>>>Of course it is not THAT neccessary functionality,
>>>but it could be very useful.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> What's the actual difference between a function and a macro? How would
>> use of macros differ from functions?
>>
>> Let's pretend there is a way of defining a macro in php...
>> define ("MAX($a,$b)", "(($a<$b)?$b:$a)");
>>
>> vs.
>>
>> function max( $a, $b ) {
>> return $a < $b ? $b : $a;
>> }
>>
>> And use them like this:
>> MAX($a,$b); // This is macro, so much easier!
>> max($a,$b); // This is plain old dull function! Bah, no no, not like
>> this...
>>
>> I mean.... WTF?
>>
>
> Macros are more efficient.
>
> Personally, one construct I use heavily and would like to replace with a
> macro:
>
> $var = isset($_POST['postvar']) ? $_POST['postvar'] . 'default value';
>
> I use something similar for a get/post, session and cookie values. It
> would be very nice to have a macro.


And tell mme again why you couldn't write a function instead of a macro to
do that?

Just so we all remember what we're talking about here... In C a macro is a
syntax replacement that the precompiler uses to both optimize the code
(avoid the unnecessary function jump for a short task) and make it easy to
write for the coder. The complier simply translates a pseudo code (the
macro) to actual code when the code is compiled to executable. Since PHP is
not precompiled, I don't see how this could be of any use. The php source
code should be precompiled in order to get the replaced... Macros just don't
have a purpouse in run-time compiled language like they do in precompiled
languages.

--
"ohjelmoija on organismi joka muuttaa kofeiinia koodiksi" -lpk
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