#22981 [NEW]: ] Problem with "=& new" and locally created instances

[Jens dot Pilgrim at xx-well dot com]

From:             Jens dot Pilgrim at xx-well dot com
Operating system: Windows 2000
PHP version:      4.3.0
PHP Bug Type:     Reproducible crash
Bug description:  ] Problem with "=& new" and locally created instances

Hi,

I've got a problem with the "=& new" construct. A code sample tells more
than 1000 words:

<?php

class foo {}

$g_fooInstance = null;

class factory {
  function factory() {
    global $g_fooInstance;
    if (is_null($g_fooInstance)) {
      $g_fooInstance =& new foo();   // <-- here's the problem
//      $g_fooInstance = new foo();  // <-- this works
    }
  }
}

function main() {
  $theFactory =& new factory();
  global $g_fooInstance;
  if (is_null($g_fooInstance)) {
    echo ('This isn\'t expected - why is it null?');
  } else {
    echo ('It works as expected');
  }
}

// run
main();
?>

This code is running like that and demonstrates exactly the "weird"
behaviour.
Running this example, the variable $g_fooInstance is null in function
main(). But why? Is the reference to the constructed object descructed
after leaving the scope of function factory::factory()? Or in other words,
are locally created instances always destructed, regardless if there are
other references on the instance?

I've posted this bug as a question in the general mailing list (on Fr
03/28/2003), and others tested and reproduced this bug too...

Regards,

jens


-- 
Edit bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=22981&edit=1
-- 
Try a CVS snapshot:         http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=trysnapshot
Fixed in CVS:               http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=fixedcvs
Fixed in release:           http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=alreadyfixed
Need backtrace:             http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=needtrace
Try newer version:          http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=oldversion
Not developer issue:        http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=support
Expected behavior:          http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=notwrong
Not enough info:            http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=notenoughinfo
Submitted twice:            http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=submittedtwice
register_globals:           http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=globals
PHP 3 support discontinued: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=php3
Daylight Savings:           http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=dst
IIS Stability:              http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=isapi
Install GNU Sed:            http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=22981&r=gnused