note 73663 added to language.references

(v5.1.4) One cool thing about var_dump is it shows which variables are references (when dumping arrays), symbolized by '∫' for int/null, and by '&' for boolean/double/string/array/object. I don't know why the difference in symmmmbolism. After playing around I found a better way to implement detaching (twas by accident). var_dump can show what's going on. <?php function &detach($v=null){return $v;} $A=array('x' => 123, 'y' => 321); $A['x'] = &$A['x']; var_dump($A); /* x became it's own reference... array(2) { ["x"]=> ∫(123) ["y"]=> int(321) }*/ $A['y']=&$A['x']; var_dump($A); /* now both are references array(2) { ["x"]=> ∫(123) ["y"]=> ∫(123) }*/ $z = 'hi'; $A['y']=&detach(&$z); var_dump($A); /* x is still a reference, y and z share array(2) { ["x"]=> ∫(123) ["y"]=> &string(2) "hi" }*/ $A['x'] = $A['x']; $A['y']=&detach(); var_dump($A,$z); /* x returned to normal, y is on its own, z is still "hi" array(2) { ["x"]=> int(123) ["y"]=> NULL }*/ ?> For detach to work you need to use '&' in the function declaration, and every time you call it. Use this when you know a variable is a reference, and you want to assign a new value without effecting other vars referencing that piece of memory. You can initialize it with a new constant value, or variable, or new reference all in once step. ---- Server IP: 69.147.83.197 Probable Submitter: 74.118.123.241 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.references.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/73663 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/73663 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/73663 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php