if I pass an object to a function in PHP, it's passed by reference, and if I set that object to a new object, it doesn't 'stick'. How can I assign a new object to an object that's passed in preferably without iterating over all properties?
e.g.:
function Foo($obj)
{
// do stuff and create new obj
$obj = $newObj;
// upon function exit, the original $obj value is as it was
}
if I pass an object to a function in PHP, it's passed by reference
In PHP an object is passed by "pointer-value" e.g. a pointer to the object is copied into the function arguments:
function test($arg) {
$arg = new stdClass();
}
$a = new stdClass();
$a->property = '123';
test($a);
var_dump($a->property); // "123"
To pass by pointer-reference, prefix an ampersand sign to the parameter:
function test(&$arg) {
$arg = new stdClass();
}
$a = new stdClass();
$a->property = '123';
test($a);
var_dump($a->property); // Undefined property
But you should avoid pointer-references as they tend to confuse and instead just return the new object:
function test($arg) {
return new stdClass();
}
Maybe you need to return the new value then you can access the new value:
function Foo($obj)
{
// do stuff and create new obj
$obj = $newObj;
// upon function exit, the original $obj value is as it was
return $obj;
}
