note 94394 added to function.unset

The post from obsidianproject.co.uk is misleading. Typecasting does not set or unset the value of a variable. In example #2, we are simply the var_dump'ing the unset value of $a, which is NULL, but not altering the value of $a, which remains intact. <?php # Example 2 from obsidianproject.co.uk's post $a = "test"; var_dump( (unset) $a ); # NULL # The value of $a remains: var_dump( $a ); # string(4) "test" ?> These tests might help clear it up a bit: <?php error_reporting( E_ALL ); header('Content-Type: text/plain'); $a = "test"; echo "NULL ==> "; var_dump( (unset) $a ); echo 'string(4): "test" ==> '; var_dump( $a ); echo "bool(true) ==> "; var_dump( isset($a) ); echo "bool(false) ==> "; var_dump( is_null($a) ); echo 'string(4): "test" ==> '; var_dump( $a ); $a = "test"; $a = (unset) $a; echo "NULL ==> "; var_dump( $a ); echo "bool(false) ==> "; var_dump( isset($a) ); echo "bool(true) ==> "; var_dump( is_null($a) ); $a = "test"; unset( $a ); echo "bool(false) ==> "; var_dump( isset($a) ); echo "bool(false) (w/notice) ==> "; var_dump( is_null($a) ); ?> ---- Server IP: 192.41.40.227 Probable Submitter: 98.235.179.75 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.unset.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/94394 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/94394 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/94394 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php