The discussion revolves around the behavior of static variables in PHP, specifically why a static variable does not reset to its initial value each time a function is called. The scope of the conversation includes technical explanations and comparisons with global variables.
Participants generally agree on the behavior of static variables, but there is a discussion about the potential use of global variables as an alternative, indicating some differing perspectives on variable scope and usage.
The discussion does not resolve the implications of using static versus global variables in different contexts, leaving open questions about best practices and potential pitfalls.
<?php
function myTest() {
static $x = 0;
echo $x;
$x++;
}
myTest();
echo "<br>";
myTest();
echo "<br>";
myTest();
?>
Thank you. But couldn't we do the same thing by declaring $x as a global variable?MarkFL said:Hey Dan,
A static variable exists only in a local function scope, but it does not lose its value when program execution leaves this scope. [m]$x[/m] is initialized only in the first call of the function and every time the myTest() function is called, it will print the value of [m]$x[/m] and increment it. :)
topsquark said:Thank you. But couldn't we do the same thing by declaring $x as a global variable?
-Dan
function increment_x()
{
global $x;
echo $x;
$x++;
}
$x = 0;
increment_x();
echo "<br>";
increment_x();
echo "<br>";
increment_x();