getting a list of all variables since a bookmark point

[sfullman]

here is the concept I have but read #2 for probably an even better concept:

#1

variable_storage('bookmark'); //initialize this function to begin recording

require('some_cool_component.php'); //this is a plugin or something similar perhaps

$group='cooldata'; //this could have been declared in the plugin just as well

$$group=variable_storage(); //all NEW variables created since variable_storage bookmark are now stored in $cooldata 

I know I could have the first call of the variable recurse globals and create a list, then recurse it again on 2nd call and of course any new entry is a newly created variable - but is there a more elegant way than this? Appreciate your feedback.

#2 it would be totally awesome if instead of the conniptions above, there was a way to automatically know what variables are created in a given __FILE__, so that in the component itself, at the bottom, i just do one line:

$cooldata=var_storage(); 

again, that depends if PHP has some automatic checking system about this. Thanks in advance.

Sam