Access static variable in function from outside

[Thomas Mlynarczyk]

Hello,

Is there a way to access a static variable defined inside a function from
outside that function? Something like the following:

function foo() {
static $bar = 'stuff';
// more code
}

// Something like this (which will not work, of course):
echo foo()::bar; // or
echo foo()->bar;

Or can the function return a reference to one of its static vars?

Greetings,
Thomas

[Janwillem Borleffs]

Re: Access static variable in function from outside

Thomas Mlynarczyk wrote:
[color=blue]
> Is there a way to access a static variable defined inside a function
> from outside that function? Something like the following:
>
> function foo() {
> static $bar = 'stuff';
> // more code
> }
>
> // Something like this (which will not work, of course):
> echo foo()::bar; // or
> echo foo()->bar;
>
> Or can the function return a reference to one of its static vars?
>[/color]

You could only do this is foo() would be an object, which it isn't.

What you can do is pass it a variable by reference, which the function
assigns the static value to:


function foo($var) {
static $bar = 'stuff';
$var = $bar;
// more code
}

$var;
foo(&$var);

print $var;

*or* declare $bar as a global var instead of a static:

function foo() {
global $bar;
$bar = 'stuff';
// more code
}

foo();
print $bar;


JW

[Thomas Mlynarczyk]

Re: Access static variable in function from outside

Also sprach Janwillem Borleffs:
[color=blue]
> What you can do is pass it a variable by reference, which the function
> assigns the static value to:
>
>
> function foo($var) {
> static $bar = 'stuff';
> $var = $bar;
> // more code
> }
>
> $var;
> foo(&$var);[/color]

That looks like what I need.
Thanks a lot!