clone creates a shallow copy or deep copy?

[johnmerlino1]

I came across the PHP clone method. Does this clone first level fields and methods or does it also do deep copying e.g. copying references to those fields. For example, a field may be an array. Does it make a copy of the actual array or does it refer to the same array position in memory, so if the original changes, then the copy's changes as well?

[requinix]

It works the same way as assignment: scalars and arrays are deep-copied while objects and resources (even within arrays) get "references". Not real references but copies of the class/resource pointer, if you will.

 

Technically they're all "references" to start with but PHP does a real copy when you attempt to change the value, so practically speaking it's a copy.