RE: [PEAR-DEV] references

Quoting Lukas Smith <smith@backendmedia.com>: > $foo = 'foo'; ('foo' in memory, ref counter 1) > $bar = $foo; ('foo' in memory, ref counter 2) > $bar = 'bar' ('foo' and 'bar' in memory, each with ref counter 1) > > the point is that in the second line you don't actually make a copy yet. > Only once you change the value a new var is really created > > the same applies to passing values to a function. > Because if this mechanism pass by reference is actually slower than not > using it. Therefore pass by reference should only be used if you really > need it. Does this apply to returning values by reference, too? For instance: function &buildBigArray() { // do stuff that builds up $hugeVariable return $hugeVariable; } $huge = &buildBigArray(); Better or worse with returning a reference? For this example, assume that $huge will never be modified, though I'm curious about if it is, too. -chuck -- Charles Hagenbuch, <chuck@horde.org> They're just looking at a wall of meat.