using $array1 = $array2 in PHP5 as if array is an object?

I wonder in PHP5, can we use

$array1 = $array2 as if it is a class?

i think right now, the whole array is copied (by key and value)...

and i want to assign by reference but NOT in the alias sense.

in other world, i want to say

$array1 =& $array2;
$array2 = range(1, 3);

and I don't want $array1 to change, just like any other objects in
PHP5.

Re: using $array1 = $array2 in PHP5 as if array is an object?

Summercool wrote:
> I wonder in PHP5, can we use
>
> $array1 = $array2 as if it is a class?
>
> i think right now, the whole array is copied (by key and value)...


Correct. Arrays, like everything else, are assigned by copy, however php
implements lazy copying, that is, no bytes are physically moved until
you modify one of the copies.

$a1 = array(1, 2, 3);
$a2 = $a1; // no copying
$a2[0] = 9; // copy $a1 to $a2 and change $a2

>
> and i want to assign by reference but NOT in the alias sense.
>
> in other world, i want to say
>
> $array1 =& $array2;
> $array2 = range(1, 3);
>
> and I don't want $array1 to change, just like any other objects in
> PHP5.
>

Wrap them in objects.

//

$a1 = new stdclass;
$a1->a = array(1, 2, 3);

$a2 = $a1;

$a1->a[0] = 123;
echo $a2->a[0]; // $a1->a and $a2->a are the same

$a2 = 'foo';
var_dump($a1); // $a1 and $a2 are NOT the same

//


--
gosha bine

extended php parser ~ http://code.google.com/p/pihipi
blok ~ http://www.tagarga.com/blok

Re: using $array1 = $array2 in PHP5 as if array is an object?

"Summercool" wrote in message
news:1190926499.884760.217880@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>I wonder in PHP5, can we use
>
> $array1 = $array2 as if it is a class?
>
> i think right now, the whole array is copied (by key and value)...
>
> and i want to assign by reference but NOT in the alias sense.
>
> in other world, i want to say
>
> $array1 =& $array2;
> $array2 = range(1, 3);
>
> and I don't want $array1 to change, just like any other objects in
> PHP5.

not sure i follow. the above code will produce *exactly* what you said you
don't want to. have you answered your own question by writing the 8 lines of
code it would take?

$array1 = $array2;
$array2 = range(1, 3);
echo '

 copy ' . $array1 . '

 reference ' . $array1 . '