Doc #60255 [NEW]: Inaccurate statement about foreach copying arrays

From: Operating system: PHP version: Irrelevant Package: Documentation problem Bug Type: Documentation Problem Bug description:Inaccurate statement about foreach copying arrays Description: ------------ The following text in a note on http://php.net/manual/en/control-structures.foreach.php is, I believe, inaccurate: "Unless the array is referenced, foreach operates on a copy of the specified array and not the array itself." This implies that the snippet seen below will never work on the original array; however, everybody knows that it does! This passage was quoted by teaching material, causing -- if my analysis is correct -- students being taught to use alternative loop constructs that are not best suited for the task at hand. This passage should just be removed. Test script: --------------- <?php $someArray = Array(1, 2, 3); // +---> array not referenced // | // | +---> value referenced // | | for demonstration // | | foreach ($someArray as &$value) { $value = 3; } var_export($someArray); ?> Expected result: ---------------- array ( 0 => 3, 1 => 3, 2 => 3, ) Actual result: -------------- // Actual result: array ( 0 => 3, 1 => 3, 2 => 3, ) // Result implied by documentation: array ( 0 => 1, 1 => 2, 2 => 3, ) -- Edit bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=60255&edit=1 -- Try a snapshot (PHP 5.4): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=trysnapshot54 Try a snapshot (PHP 5.3): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=trysnapshot53 Try a snapshot (trunk): https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=trysnapshottrunk Fixed in SVN: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=fixed Fixed in SVN and need be documented: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=needdocs Fixed in release: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=needtrace Need Reproduce Script: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=needscript Try newer version: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=oldversion Not developer issue: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=support Expected behavior: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=notwrong Not enough info: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=submittedtwice register_globals: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=globals PHP 4 support discontinued: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=php4 Daylight Savings: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=dst IIS Stability: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=isapi Install GNU Sed: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=gnused Floating point limitations: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=float No Zend Extensions: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=nozend MySQL Configuration Error: https://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=60255&r=mysqlcfg