> > The added complexity of the feature seems to outweigh the benefits, which > as best I can gather, is primarily to allow for ad-hoc PDO object creation. > If that is truly all it brings in benefit, this is a use case easily > supported by the user via singleton. >
The primary benefit and use case is for slow network connections between PHP and MySQL. Persistent connection helps avoid the overhead involved in creating and authorizing a new connection on the server. The main disadvantage is the confusion it brings to an average user who has to be aware of many pitfalls that come with reusable connections. >
