PHP function arguments and PageArrays...

[celfred]

Hello,

Another newbie question. My Processwire sites is growing and I'm wondering if my way of doing things sounds goog to you. I tend to avoid what I consider 'heavy and frequent' database requests in my functions. For example :

// In functions.php
myfunction($player) {
  wire('$pages')->find("myselectors"); // This means about 300 database requests
  do something... (like $p->newTmpField = 1;)
  return $player;
}

// In template.php
$allPlayers = $pages->find("template=player"); // About 300 players
foreach ($allPlayers as $p) {
  myfunction($p);
}
// Now I have access to newTmpField, for example.

 I tend to replace with :

// In function.php
myfunction($allPlayers) {
  foreach($allPlayers as $p) {
    // do something like set $p->newTmpField = 1
  }
  return $allPlayers;
}

// In template.php
$allPlayers = $pages->find("template=player");
myfunction($allPlayers);
// Now $players have been modified. For example, I have $allPlayer->find("newTmpField=1");

So for the moment, I tend to choose the second solution which makes only 1 database request, but what do more experimented developers would recommend ?

What I find useful with Page objects in functons arguments is that I have the whole 'tree' I can then 'find' in my function. But as you can see, I need to understand things better. I have a feeling my 'practical' explanation is not really convincing ? 

Thanks if someone can take a few minutes to give me advice !