*SOLVED*making associative array keys read only, or sanity checking it's values?

[drkstr]

Is there an easy way to make the keys of an associative array read-only, and preferably the data type of the value? I am passing an associative array of object vars to a client side Flash script where someone else will be writing the code to update it and pass it back. I want to make sure I can safely reassign the updated data back to the object, is there an elegant way to do this, or should I just loop through and compare the new array with the original and exit on error if anything changed?

thanks!
...drkstr

[ober]

I don't think there is a way to make the keys read-only.  At least I've never come across it.

[drkstr]

Thanks for the sponce ober! I guess I'll just loop through and compare the data types of the array passed in through the parameter against those of the original. Hopefully I don't pick up/lose any keys.

thanks again!
...drkstr

[Barand]

You could put a check in the code
[code]
<?php
$array = array ('x' => 1, 'y' => 2, 'z' => 3);

$orig_keys = array_keys($array);

    //
    // processing here
    //

$modified_array = array ('x' => 4, 'y' => 5, 'w' => 6);

$keys = array_keys($modified_array);

if ($keys == $orig_keys) {
    echo 'OK';
}
else {
    echo "Keys changed";
}

?> [/code]

[drkstr]

That's a handy little trick. I didn't know you could compare arrays directly with the '==' operator.

I think I now have enough info to make sure nothing jiggy happens to my array in the Flash code.

Thanks everyone for the help!
...drkstr