Variable scope
The scope of a variable is the context within which it is defined. For the most part all PHP variables only have a single scope. This single scope spans included and required files as well. For example:
<?php
$a = 1;
include 'b.inc';
?>
Here the $a variable will be available within the included b.inc script. However, within user-defined functions a local function scope is introduced. Any variable used inside a function is by default limited to the local function scope. For example:
<?php
$a = 1; /* global scope */
function test()
{
echo $a; /* reference to local scope variable */
}
test();
?>
This script will not produce any output because the echo statement refers to a local version of the $a variable, and it has not been assigned a value within this scope. You may notice that this is a little bit different from the C language in that global variables in C are automatically available to functions unless specifically overridden by a local definition. This can cause some problems in that people may inadvertently change a global variable. In PHP global variables must be declared global inside a function if they are going to be used in that function.
The global keyword
First, an example use of global:
Example #1 Using global
<?php
$a = 1;
$b = 2;
function Sum()
{
global $a, $b;
$b = $a + $b;
}
Sum();
echo $b;
?>
The above script will output 3. By declaring
$a and $b global within the
function, all references to either variable will refer to the
global version. There is no limit to the number of global
variables that can be manipulated by a function.
A second way to access variables from the global scope is to use the special PHP-defined $GLOBALS array. The previous example can be rewritten as:
Example #2 Using $GLOBALS instead of global
<?php
$a = 1;
$b = 2;
function Sum()
{
$GLOBALS['b'] = $GLOBALS['a'] + $GLOBALS['b'];
}
Sum();
echo $b;
?>
The $GLOBALS array is an associative array with the name of the global variable being the key and the contents of that variable being the value of the array element. Notice how $GLOBALS exists in any scope, this is because $GLOBALS is a superglobal. Here's an example demonstrating the power of superglobals:
Example #3 Example demonstrating superglobals and scope
<?php
function test_superglobal()
{
echo $_POST['name'];
}
?>
Note:
Using
globalkeyword outside a function is not an error. It can be used if the file is included from inside a function.
Using static variables
Another important feature of variable scoping is the static variable. A static variable exists only in a local function scope, but it does not lose its value when program execution leaves this scope. Consider the following example:
Example #4 Example demonstrating need for static variables
<?php
function test()
{
$a = 0;
echo $a;
$a++;
}
?>
This function is quite useless since every time it is called it
sets $a to 0 and prints
0. The $a++ which increments the
variable serves no purpose since as soon as the function exits the
$a variable disappears. To make a useful
counting function which will not lose track of the current count,
the $a variable is declared static:
Example #5 Example use of static variables
<?php
function test()
{
static $a = 0;
echo $a;
$a++;
}
?>
Now, $a is initialized only in first call of function
and every time the test() function is called it will print the
value of $a and increment it.
Static variables also provide one way to deal with recursive functions. A recursive function is one which calls itself. Care must be taken when writing a recursive function because it is possible to make it recurse indefinitely. You must make sure you have an adequate way of terminating the recursion. The following simple function recursively counts to 10, using the static variable $count to know when to stop:
Example #6 Static variables with recursive functions
<?php
function test()
{
static $count = 0;
$count++;
echo $count;
if ($count < 10) {
test();
}
$count--;
}
?>
Static variables can be assigned values which are the result of constant expressions, but dynamic expressions, such as function calls, will cause a parse error.
Example #7 Declaring static variables
<?php
function foo(){
static $int = 0; // correct
static $int = 1+2; // correct
static $int = sqrt(121); // wrong (as it is a function)
$int++;
echo $int;
}
?>
As of PHP 8.1.0, when a method using static variables is inherited (but not overridden), the inherited method will now share static variables with the parent method. This means that static variables in methods now behave the same way as static properties.
Example #8 Usage of static Variables in Inherited Methods
<?php
class Foo {
public static function counter() {
static $counter = 0;
$counter++;
return $counter;
}
}
class Bar extends Foo {}
var_dump(Foo::counter()); // int(1)
var_dump(Foo::counter()); // int(2)
var_dump(Bar::counter()); // int(3), prior to PHP 8.1.0 int(1)
var_dump(Bar::counter()); // int(4), prior to PHP 8.1.0 int(2)
?>
Note:
Static declarations are resolved in compile-time.
References with global and static variables
PHP implements the
static and
global modifier
for variables in terms of
references. For example, a true global variable
imported inside a function scope with the global
statement actually creates a reference to the global variable. This can
lead to unexpected behaviour which the following example addresses:
<?php
function test_global_ref() {
global $obj;
$new = new stdclass;
$obj = &$new;
}
function test_global_noref() {
global $obj;
$new = new stdclass;
$obj = $new;
}
test_global_ref();
var_dump($obj);
test_global_noref();
var_dump($obj);
?>
The above example will output:
NULL
object(stdClass)#1 (0) {
}
A similar behaviour applies to the static statement.
References are not stored statically:
<?php
function &get_instance_ref() {
static $obj;
echo 'Static object: ';
var_dump($obj);
if (!isset($obj)) {
$new = new stdclass;
// Assign a reference to the static variable
$obj = &$new;
}
if (!isset($obj->property)) {
$obj->property = 1;
} else {
$obj->property++;
}
return $obj;
}
function &get_instance_noref() {
static $obj;
echo 'Static object: ';
var_dump($obj);
if (!isset($obj)) {
$new = new stdclass;
// Assign the object to the static variable
$obj = $new;
}
if (!isset($obj->property)) {
$obj->property = 1;
} else {
$obj->property++;
}
return $obj;
}
$obj1 = get_instance_ref();
$still_obj1 = get_instance_ref();
echo "\n";
$obj2 = get_instance_noref();
$still_obj2 = get_instance_noref();
?>
The above example will output:
Static object: NULL
Static object: NULL
Static object: NULL
Static object: object(stdClass)#3 (1) {
["property"]=>
int(1)
}
This example demonstrates that when assigning a reference to a static
variable, it's not remembered when you call the
&get_instance_ref() function a second time.
