note 25304 added to language.variables.scope

Thus spake madeinlisboa@yahoo.com: > Static vars are not independent. They are shared by every instance of > an object!!! > Rather, class instances share methods. For some purposes, method names can be viewed as static variables referring to functions. The 'xpto->some()' method contains the static variable '$x', and so every call to xpto->some() from an xpto object accesses the same variable that '$x' refers to. > If you need to overcome this, create an intermediary method, which will > send a reset parameter to some(), so that the method knows it is a new > instance: > Doesn't this almost defeat the purpose of a static variable? The call to xpto->some_before() resets the static variable '$x' for EVERY xpto object. Furthermore, calls to xpto->some() still increment $x for every xpto object. e.g.: $i1 = new xpto; $i1->some_before(); /* $x in $i1->some() is now 1*/ $i2 = new xpto; $i2->some_before(); $i2->some(); /* $x in $i1->some() is now 2*/ The appropriate way to preserve variables across methods calls is to use an instance variable. e.g.: Class xpto { var $x; function xpto() { $this->x = 0; } function some() { echo $this->x; ++$this->x; } } Note you cannot (I believe) reassign a method, as you can in javascript and Perl; this is why method names cannot always be viewed as static function references. PHP provides variable functions, rather than function references, to dynamically change function calls. -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php http://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php?action=edit+25304 http://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php?action=delete+25304 http://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php?action=reject+25304