.. efun:: mixed * variable_list(object ob, int flags)
  :include: <functionlist.h>
    <lpctypes.h>

  Return an array with information about :arg:`ob's <ob>` variables. For every variable, 1 to 3 values (depending on :arg:`flags`) are stored in the result array conveying in this order:

  - the name of the variable
  - the variable flags (see below)
  - the return type (listed in <lpctypes.h>)
  - the value of the variable

  :arg:`ob` may be given as true object or as a filename. In the latter case, the efun does not try to load the object before proceeding.

  If :arg:`ob` is not the current object and the value of the variable is requested, a privilege_violation ("variable_list", <ob>) occurs.

  .. todo:: privilege violation

  :arg:`flags` determines both which information is returned for every variable, and which variables should be considered at all. Its value is created by bin-or'ing together the following flags from <functionlist.h>:

    Control of returned information:

      :macro:`RETURN_FUNCTION_NAME`    include the variable name
      :macro:`RETURN_FUNCTION_FLAGS`   include the variable flags
      :macro:`RETURN_FUNCTION_TYPE`    include the return type
      :macro:`RETURN_VARIABLE_VALUE`   include the variable value

    Control of listed variables:

      :macro:`NAME_INHERITED`      don't list if defined by inheritance
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_STATIC` ==
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_NOSAVE`     don't list if nosave ('static') variable
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_PRIVATE`    don't list if private
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_PROTECTED`  don't list if protected
      :macro:`NAME_HIDDEN`         don't list if not visible through inheritance

  The 'flags' information consists of the bin-or of the list control flags given above, plus the following:

      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_VIRTUAL`    variable is inherited virtually
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_NO_MASK`    variable is nomask
      :macro:`TYPE_MOD_PUBLIC`     variable is public

  All these flags are defined in <functionlist.h>; the return types are defined in <lpctypes.h>.

  :history 3.2.10 introduced:

  .. seealso:: :efun:`inherit_list`, :efun:`functionlist`, :efun:`variable_exists`