Wird eine Referenz aufgehoben, so wird nur die Bindung zwischen einem Variablennamen und dem Variableninhalt entfernt. Der Inhalt der Variablen wird hierbei nicht gelöscht. Betrachten wir folgendes Beispiel:
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
unset($a);
?>
Wiederum sieht man die Analogie zwischen Unix und den Referenzen: Das Aufheben einer Referenz entspricht einem Aufruf von unlink unter Unix.
Simple look how PHP Reference works
<?php
/* Imagine this is memory map
______________________________
|pointer | value | variable |
-----------------------------------
| 1 | NULL | --- |
| 2 | NULL | --- |
| 3 | NULL | --- |
| 4 | NULL | --- |
| 5 | NULL | --- |
------------------------------------
Create some variables */
$a=10;
$b=20;
$c=array ('one'=>array (1, 2, 3));
/* Look at memory
_______________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
-----------------------------------
| 1 | 10 | $a |
| 2 | 20 | $b |
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 | $c['one'][2] |
------------------------------------
do */
$a=&$c['one'][2];
/* Look at memory
_______________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
-----------------------------------
| 1 | NULL | --- | //value of $a is destroyed and pointer is free
| 2 | 20 | $b |
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 | $c['one'][2] ,$a | // $a is now here
------------------------------------
do */
$b=&$a; // or $b=&$c['one'][2]; result is same as both "$c['one'][2]" and "$a" is at same pointer.
/* Look at memory
_________________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
--------------------------------------
| 1 | NULL | --- |
| 2 | NULL | --- | //value of $b is destroyed and pointer is free
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 |$c['one'][2] ,$a , $b | // $b is now here
---------------------------------------
next do */
unset($c['one'][2]);
/* Look at memory
_________________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
--------------------------------------
| 1 | NULL | --- |
| 2 | NULL | --- |
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 | $a , $b | // $c['one'][2] is destroyed not in memory, not in array
---------------------------------------
next do */
$c['one'][2]=500; //now it is in array
/* Look at memory
_________________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
--------------------------------------
| 1 | 500 | $c['one'][2] | //created it lands on any(next) free pointer in memory
| 2 | NULL | --- |
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 | $a , $b | //this pointer is in use
---------------------------------------
lets tray to return $c['one'][2] at old pointer an remove reference $a,$b. */
$c['one'][2]=&$a;
unset($a);
unset($b);
/* look at memory
_________________________________
|pointer | value | variable's |
--------------------------------------
| 1 | NULL | --- |
| 2 | NULL | --- |
| 3 | 1 | $c['one'][0] |
| 4 | 2 | $c['one'][1] |
| 5 | 3 | $c['one'][2] | //$c['one'][2] is returned, $a,$b is destroyed
--------------------------------------- ?>
I hope this helps.
<?php
//if you do:
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$c = "eita";
$b = $c;
echo $a; // shows "eita"
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$c = "eita";
$b = &$c;
echo $a; // shows "hihaha"
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$b = null;
echo $a; // shows nothing (both are set to null)
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
unset($b);
echo $a; // shows "hihaha"
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$c = "eita";
$a = $c;
echo $b; // shows "eita"
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$c = "eita";
$a = &$c;
echo $b; // shows "hihaha"
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
$a = null;
echo $b; // shows nothing (both are set to null)
$a = "hihaha";
$b = &$a;
unset($a);
echo $b; // shows "hihaha"
?>
I tested each case individually on PHP 4.3.10.
note that in the previous example all variables (or the one data item all variables point to) is set to NULL, what is interpreted as !isset(), but the linkage between the variables still exists, so
<?php
echo (isset($a)?"set":"unset")."\n";
$a=1;
$b =& $a;
echo (isset($b)?"set":"unset")."\n";
$a=null;
echo (isset($b)?"set":"unset")."\n";
$a=1;
echo (isset($b)?"set":"unset")."\n";
?>
shows:
unset
set
unset
set
note that $b ist set again.
So if you want to brake the linkage, you have to use unset()
Your idea about unsetting all referenced variables at once is right,
just a tiny note that you changed NULL with unset()...
again, unset affects only one name and NULL affects the data,
which is kept by all the three names...
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
$b = NULL;
?>
This does also work!
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
$c =& $b;
$b = NULL;
?>
Here's an example of unsetting a reference without losing an ealier set reference
<?php
$foo = 'Bob'; // Assign the value 'Bob' to $foo
$bar = &$foo; // Reference $foo via $bar.
$bar = "My name is $bar"; // Alter $bar...
echo $bar;
echo $foo; // $foo is altered too.
$foo = "I am Frank"; // Alter $foo and $bar because of the reference
echo $bar; // output: I am Frank
echo $foo; // output: I am Frank
$foobar = &$bar; // create a new reference between $foobar and $bar
$foobar = "hello $foobar"; // alter $foobar and with that $bar and $foo
echo $foobar; //output : hello I am Frank
unset($bar); // unset $bar and destroy the reference
$bar = "dude!"; // assign $bar
/* even though the reference between $bar and $foo is destroyed, and also the
reference between $bar and $foobar is destroyed, there is still a reference
between $foo and $foobar. */
echo $foo; // output : hello I am Frank
echo $bar; // output : due!
?>
If you wish to unset both variables, you will need to unset the last referenced variable of that condition.
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
unset($b);
?>
* These must be in a reference->copy hierarchy in order to unset; example:
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
$c =& $b;
unset($c);
?>
This will not work:
<?php
$a = 1;
$b =& $a;
$c = $b;
unset($c);
?>
* Only $c is unset in the above example, meaning that both variables $b and $a are still assigned "1".
clerca at inp-net dot eu dot org
"
If you have a lot of references linked to the same contents, maybe it could be useful to do this :
<?php
$a = 1;
$b = & $a;
$c = & $b; // $a, $b, $c reference the same content '1'
$b = NULL; // All variables $a, $b or $c are unset
?>
"
------------------------
NULL will not result in unseting the variables.
Its only change the value to "null" for all the variables.
becouse they all points to the same "part" in the memory.
If you have a lot of references linked to the same contents, maybe it could be useful to do this :
<?php
$a = 1;
$b = & $a;
$c = & $b; // $a, $b, $c reference the same content '1'
$b = NULL; // All variables $a, $b or $c are unset
?>
I haven't test this trick a lot, but well, it seems to work greatly.