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]

Thomas Mlynarczyk wrote:

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?

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]

Also sprach Janwillem Borleffs:

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);

That looks like what I need.
Thanks a lot!