Comments on: Using references in PHP: The Basics http://www.codr.eu/using-references-in-php-the-basics dev screencasts & tutorials Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:54:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Kristof Polleunis http://www.codr.eu/using-references-in-php-the-basics/comment-page-1#comment-29 Kristof Polleunis Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:54:40 +0000 http://www.codr.eu/?p=198#comment-29 I think a good way to visualize it for most people would be to compare it with something they are familiar with like shortcuts on the desktop. Say you have 1 shortcut (alias) on your desktop that links to a folder on you harddisk. Now you copy the shortcut and make a duplicate of it. Both the original and duplicate point to the same folder. Now you open the folder through clicking on the original shortcut and add a file to this folder. Next when you go back to the desktop and click on the duplicate shortcut it will show you the same directory with that extra file. But when you delete one shortcut, the folder is still on the disk and the other shortcut still points the folder. When you delete the value of the variable or in this case the foldercontent, it's gone. I think a good way to visualize it for most people would be to compare it with something they are familiar with like shortcuts on the desktop.

Say you have 1 shortcut (alias) on your desktop that links to a folder on you harddisk. Now you copy the shortcut and make a duplicate of it.

Both the original and duplicate point to the same folder. Now you open the folder through clicking on the original shortcut and add a file to this folder.

Next when you go back to the desktop and click on the duplicate shortcut it will show you the same directory with that extra file.

But when you delete one shortcut, the folder is still on the disk and the other shortcut still points the folder. When you delete the value of the variable or in this case the foldercontent, it’s gone.

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