So the key "1" is present, but $a[1] doesn't exist...

Backwards. The element does exist even though exists says otherwise. (exists returns information about internal memory allocation.) This bug is why the use of exists is deprecated on array elements.

it's apparently not consistent with exists.

Being inconsistent with a buggy and deprecated feature is of no importance to me.

In reply to Re^4: New behavior of 'each' with respect to references by ikegami
in thread New behavior of 'each' with respect to references by davido

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