Making variable from a variable

[Cameron Laird]

In article <slrnboa38r.g5k.ramen at lackingtalent.com>,
Dave Benjamin  <ramen at lackingtalent.com> wrote:
>In article <dcf37d82.0310082219.da7d175 at posting.google.com>, Polerio
>Babao Jr.II wrote:
>> in php
>> 
>><?
>> 
>> $a = 'b';
>> ${$a} = 'c';
>> print "$a $b";
>> 
>> ?>
>> 
>> output is 
>> 
>> b c
>
>Your PHP example can be accomplished with a dictionary, which is a better
>way to go altogether in my opinion:
			.
			.
			.
><soapbox>
>And don't program that way, anyway. It's just SILLY. (Believe me. I used to
>write plenty of PHP.)
></soapbox>
			.
			.
			.
It's suboptimal *even in PHP*.  It's a great puzzle
to my why leading PHPers continue to propagate this
unhelpful idiom.

I'll be more precise:  there are few calls for appli-
cation programmers to give variables variable names.
"Systems programmers" writing frameworks, debugging
jigs, and such, certainly need the capability.
-- 

Cameron Laird <claird at phaseit.net>
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net