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foreach in PHP7 by default, when iterating by value, operates on a copy of the array according to: http://php.net/manual/en/migration70.incompatible.php

Does it lazily create a copy only if there are changes made to the array or a value or will it always make a copy and in essence make looping over references a performance optimization?

Also, do arrays of objects still loop over/give you references of the objects? Or will they actually also create copies for the foreach and return the objects by value?

And Finally
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inquam
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  • According to [the top answer here](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10057671/how-does-foreach-actually-work?rq=1) there's also a copy made in PHP5 when iterating by value. – Kenney Dec 04 '15 at 21:04
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    Suggestion: Just iterate and don't try to optimize by "writing efficient code". The majority of time just use the constructs and let them figure out how to execute code. Only if you measure that performance isn't acceptable would you want to make a change. (Not an answer or downvote since there is an academic reason to ask the question, but this is worth stating) – ircmaxell Dec 04 '15 at 23:12
  • @ircmaxell this could be formulated briefer: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/385506/when-is-optimisation-premature – ivan_pozdeev Dec 10 '15 at 17:01

1 Answers1

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In PHP 7, if you iterate an array by value, the copy will be done lazily, only when and if the array is actually modified.

If you iterate an array by reference instead, a separation will be performed at the start of the loop. If the array is currently used in more than one place, this separation will lead to a copy.

Furthermore iterating by reference means that a) the array has to be wrapped into a reference and b) each element has to be wrapped in a reference as well. Creating a reference wrapper is an expensive operation, because it requires allocation.

Additionally iteration by reference requires us to use a modification-safe iteration mechanism. This works by registering the iterator with the array and checking for potentially affected iterators in various array modification operations.

So no, iterating by reference is certainly not an optimization, it's a de-optimization. Using references usually is.

NikiC
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