in reply to Re^8: XS: returning a 64-bit unsigned int?
in thread XS: returning a 64-bit unsigned int?

Tie is only one kind of magic. Magic scalars are actually quite common. 

$1
$|
$ENV{PATH}
$ISA[0]
$tied{$k}
$tied[$i]
$#a
pos
substr

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(Some of these only return magical scalars in lvalue context.)

Every tied hash and array uses them in order to call STORE on the hash or array when assigning to the scalar returned by $tied{$i} and $tied[$i].

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Re^10: XS: returning a 64-bit unsigned int?
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 27, 2011 at 18:39 UTC

    And how many of those am I going to find inside an array?

    Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
    "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
    In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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      Of those, every element of @ISA and every element of a tied array are found in arrays.
[reply]

        Can you imagine the utility of passing @ISA (or any of the other special arrays) into a subroutine that is going to populate the passed array with random integers?

        So I re-phrase my question to avoid your deliberate "misunderstanding": How many of those examples of magical scalars could be encountered, embedded within an ordinary array?

        But I Know you knew what I meant. It's pointless discussing with you when you go into your defence-at-all-costs mode.

        If there were never any circumstances when it was appropriate to not deal with magic, then there would be no need for all the *_nomg versions of the apis -- but they exist.

        Knowing when to choose the appropriate tool for the job, rather than blindly catering for every known possibility no matter how remote, is (should be) part and parcel of the programmer's skill set.

        Travel insurance is a good idea, but you don't take it out for every walk to the shops.

        Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
        "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
        In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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