TIP #214: ADD NEW OBJECT INTROSPECTION COMMAND 
================================================
 Version:      $Revision: 1.7 $
 Author:       Ulrich Schöbel <usus_at_aladyn.de>
               Larry W. Virden <lvirden_at_yahoo.com>
 State:        Withdrawn
 Type:         Project
 Tcl-Version:  8.7
 Vote:         Pending
 Created:      Tuesday, 24 August 2004
 URL:          https://tip.tcl-lang.org214.html
 Post-History: 
 Obsoletes:    TIP #117

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 ABSTRACT 
==========

 This TIP proposes the new *representation* subcommand to *info* which 
 returns the internal representation of a variable's contents. 

 RATIONALE 
===========

 Inspired by a posting on <URL:news:comp.lang.tcl> by Victor Wagner, I 
 considered a facility to obtain the internal representation of the 
 value of a variable to be useful. 

     * It further extends the Tcl introspection commands. 

     * It offers a method to check the type of a variable without 
       conversion. 

     * During the development process it is useful to detect/avoid 
       shimmering and its negative performance effects. 

 PROPOSED CHANGE 
=================

 Add the new subcommand *info representation* with the following syntax: 

       *info representation* /varName/ 

 It returns the type of the variable /varName/ or an error, if 

     * /varName/ doesn't exist, 

     * /varName/ is an array and no index is provided, 

     * /varName/ is a scalar variable but an index is provided. 

 IMPLEMENTATION 
================

 A patch against Tcl8.4.6 is available 
 [<URL:http://sf.net/support/tracker.php?aid=1015338>]. 

 COPYRIGHT 
===========

 This document has been placed in the public domain. 

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