Yesterday a friend of mine and I were walking through static classes, and instanced ones; then suddenly some weird behavior occurred.
<?php
class NumberContainerO {
public $_number;
public function __construct($number) {
$this->_number = $number;
}
}
$list = array();
$n = new NumberContainerO(1);
$list[] = &$n->_number;
$n = new NumberContainerO(2);
$list[] = &$n->_number;
$n = new NumberContainerO(3);
$list[] = &$n->_number;
var_dump($list);
?>
<?php
class NumberContainer {
public static $_number;
public static function __Add($number) {
self::$_number = $number;
}
}
$list = array();
NumberContainer::__Add(1);
$list[] = &NumberContainer::$_number;
NumberContainer::__Add(2);
$list[] = &NumberContainer::$_number;
NumberContainer::__Add(3);
$list[] = &NumberContainer::$_number;
var_dump($list);
?>
Output
array(3) { [0]=> int(1) [1]=> int(2) [2]=> &int(3) } array(3) { [0]=> &int(3) [1]=> &int(3) [2]=> &int(3) }
Why is int(1), and int(2) not passed by reference?
Codepad: http://codepad.org/DsEZDFYf
See Unsetting References.
When you do $n = new NumberContainerO(2);
(and $n = new NumberContainerO(3);
) you're unsetting the previous $n->_number
, destroying the reference. The array element then just becomes your standard non-referenced value.