Is PHP pass by reference bad?

Is PHP pass by reference bad?

Passing by reference usually breaks the copy-on-write pattern and requires a copy whether you modify the value or not. Don’t be afraid to use references in PHP when you need to, but don’t just do it as an attempt to micro-optimize. Remember, premature optimization is the root of all evil.

Does PHP pass array by reference?

With regards to your first question, the array is passed by reference UNLESS it is modified within the method / function you’re calling. If you attempt to modify the array within the method / function, a copy of it is made first, and then only the copy is modified.

What does pass by reference mean in PHP?

In PHP, arguments to a function can be passed by value or passed by reference. By default, values of actual arguments are passed by value to formal arguments which become local variables inside the function. Hence, modification to these variables doesn’t change value of actual argument variable.

Is PHP pass by value or reference?

It’s by value according to the PHP Documentation. By default, function arguments are passed by value (so that if the value of the argument within the function is changed, it does not get changed outside of the function). To allow a function to modify its arguments, they must be passed by reference.

Is PHP object pass by reference?

One of the key-points of PHP OOP that is often mentioned is that “objects are passed by references by default”. A PHP reference is an alias, which allows two different variables to write to the same value. In PHP, an object variable doesn’t contain the object itself as value.

What is difference between pass by value and pass by reference in PHP?

The main difference between pass by value and pass by reference is that, in pass by value, the parameter value copies to another variable while in pass by reference, the actual parameter passes to the function.

What happens when an object is passed by reference?

Explanation: When an object is passed by reference, its address is passed implicitly. This will make changes to the main function whenever any modification is done.

Are PHP variables passed by value or by reference?

PHP variables are assigned by value, passed to functions by value, and when containing/representing objects are passed by reference. You can force variables to pass by reference using an &.

What is pass by reference and pass by value?

Pass by value refers to a mechanism of copying the function parameter value to another variable while the pass by reference refers to a mechanism of passing the actual parameters to the function. Thus, this is the main difference between pass by value and pass by reference.

What is a pass by reference?

Pointers require two variables with two different addresses

  • References require two variables but at the same address
  • Accessing the data through a pointer variable requires dereferencing the pointer variable
  • References are not stored in another variable like a pointer (so they do not need to be dereferenced)
  • What is default parameter in PHP?

    PHP Function Default Parameters. Default parameter can have a value if the corresponding argument is not passed when the function is called. PHP lets you create functions with optional parameters. You define an optional parameter as follows: To define default parameters for a function, add the default value after the variables.