C++ style '&' reference possible?

[Peach1]

function mod(&x) { x = 5; }  local x = 123; mod(x); print(x);

Result desired:

5

We know existing-Squirrel cannot do this, but is it possible to implement this in Squirrel sqvm.cpp and sqcompiler.cpp?

How to modify integers by reference, like C++ can do

void mod(int& x) { x = 5; } int x = 123; mod(x); printf("%i\n", x);

5

---

In Squirrel, the approximate thing is _OP_SETOUTER _OP_GETOUTER. It is used by closure functions

local x = 123; function mod() { x = 5; } mod(); print(x) // x is now 5

squilu/SquiLu/squirrel/sqvm.cpp

Line 1934 in ef96bae

void SQVM::FindOuter(SQObjectPtr &target, SQObjectPtr *stackindex)

squilu/SquiLu/squirrel/sqvm.cpp

Line 687 in ef96bae

FindOuter(closure->_outervalues[i], &STK(_integer(v._src)));

squilu/SquiLu/squirrel/sqfuncstate.cpp

Line 390 in ef96bae

_parent->MarkLocalAsOuter(pos);

squilu/SquiLu/squirrel/sqvm.cpp

Line 1162 in ef96bae

OPCODE_TARGET(SETOUTER) {

See _OP_SETOUTER _OP_GETOUTER MarkLocalAsOuter() GetOuterVariable() and FindOuter()

function mod()
-----OUTERS
0 x
-----Instructions
    [000]         _OP_LOADINT 5
    [001]        _OP_SETOUTER 255 0[x]  // could be extended to support true references
    [002]       _OP_LOADNULLS 1 1
    [003]          _OP_RETURN 255 0

local x = 123; function mod() { x = 5; } mod(); print(x)

5

With some modification, could real references be added to Squirrel / Squilu ?:

function mod(&x) { x = 5; }  local x = 123; mod(x); print(x);

5

[mingodad]

Everything is possible when one decides to take time and effort but maybe you'll be better served by something that already implements it like https://github.com/vovkos/jancy.
If you really need something easier is to pass the data as a table/array:

function mod(vx) { vx.x = 5; }  local vx = {x=123]; mod(vx); print(vx.x);