#41214 [Bgs]: referencing a reference parameter on a function-local variable does not work

[php at warhog dot net]

 ID:               41214
 User updated by:  php at warhog dot net
 Reported By:      php at warhog dot net
 Status:           Bogus
 Bug Type:         Variables related
 Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 6.10/Linux 2.6.17)
 PHP Version:      5.2.1
 New Comment:

Same thing in PHP 5.1.6 (from the official ubuntu repositories).

I thought about the problem and considered the fact that a local 
variable vanishes when the function is done... so I tried the same 
with a static variable.. but it didn't work either:

<?php
function some_function(&$foo)
{
        static $_foo = NULL;

        if (is_null($_foo)) {
                $_foo = 1;
        }

        var_dump($_foo);
        $foo =& $_foo;
        var_dump($foo);
}

function some_other_function(&$foo)
{
        $foo = 2;
}

function yet_another_function(&$foo)
{
        $_foo = 3;
        $foo =& $_foo;
        var_dump($foo);
}

some_function($bar);
var_dump($bar);

some_other_function($bar);
var_dump($bar);

yet_another_function($bar);
var_dump($bar);
?>

Expected:
---------

int(1)
int(1)
int(1)
int(2)
int(3)
int(3)

Actual Result:
--------------

int(1)
int(1)
NULL
int(2)
int(3)
int(2)


Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2007-04-27 17:11:24] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

You're creating a reference to the variable that exists only in the
function scope.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[2007-04-27 17:04:28] php at warhog dot net

Description:
------------
When having a reference-variable as parameter in a function and 
referencing it on a local variable (inside the function) the 
variable will keep the referenced value inside the function but not 
outside. That's not the way I understand references in PHP.

Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php
function yet_another_function(&$foo)
{
        $_foo = 3;
        $foo =& $_foo;
        var_dump($foo);
}

yet_another_function($bar);
var_dump($bar);
?>


Expected result:
----------------
int(3)
int(3)


Actual result:
--------------
int(3)
NULL



------------------------------------------------------------------------


-- 
Edit this bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=41214&edit=1