Description:
------------
Currently if you want to send an array of parameters to a function, but have the function also use defaults in the array you then need to use array_merge in the function.  It would be useful if the function arguments could handle this automatically.

As far as the syntax goes I don't care, but I would really like this as it would reduce the amount of code I need to write and it would make it more readable. Plus allow for phpDocumentor and other features to utilize this.  Also I am sure you can make this more compatible with the compiler thus ran faster then using other methods like array_merge() etc.

Suggested Syntax Options:

function do_stuff($arr = {'a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'red', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => 'yellow'})

function do_stuff($arr = ['a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'red', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => 'yellow'])

function do_stuff($arr = &array('a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'red', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => 'yellow'))

Example Shown in the Test Script Below.



Test script:
---------------
function do_stuff($arr = {'a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'red', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => 'yellow'})
{
    return $arr;
}

print_r(do_stuff(array('b' => 'green', 'c' => null, 'd' => ''));



Expected result:
----------------
// Should output
// Array('a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'green', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => '');
// OR
// Object('a' => 'blue', 'b' => 'green', 'c' => 'black', 'd' => '');