Reference Question

[arianhojat]

had question about References in the php manual....

 

"When assigning an already created instance of an object to a new variable, the new variable will access the same instance as the object that was assigned. This behaviour is the same when passing instances to a function. A new instance of an already created object can be made by cloning it."

class SimpleClass
{
    // member declaration
    public $var = 'a default value';

    // method declaration
    public function displayVar() {
        echo $this->var;
    }
}
$instance = new SimpleClass();

$assigned   =  $instance;
$reference  =& $instance;

$instance->var = '$assigned will have this value';

$instance = null; // $instance and $reference become null

var_dump($instance);
var_dump($reference);
var_dump($assigned); //prints out

 

 

Now the manual seems to suggest u have to manually clone an object if you want to copy it to another variable by using clone() in php5, and just assigning a variable to an object, that it will make it a reference and not a copy.

 

Is that really true? cause it seems to suggest u have to manually have to add &= for reference to work (unless use 'new' operator which automatically adds a &=). $assigned seems to have cloned its own copy of $instance without using clone().

[Jessica]

They changed this between 4 & 5, which version are you using, and which are you reading the docs for?

[arianhojat]

version 5 for both

[arianhojat]

bump

[arianhojat]

uh oh, the dreaded "double bump".

dont want to open a new topic, although i imagine bumps are frowned upon so maybe i will do that if no answer.