The Never-ending Variable - PHP

Quite possibly one of PHP’s least utilized yet most valuable features is its support for Variable Variables. In short these are a method of using the value of one variable to call the name of another. Sound confusing? We'll explain everything...

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By: Eric Seufert

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February 14, 2001

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Another interesting quirk about variable variables is that they are seemingly infinite. The following code works just fine to produce "The Great Thing About Variable Variables Is They Never End!":


$x = "The";
$$x = "Great";
$$$x = "Thing";
$$$$x = "About";
$$$$$x = "Variable";
$$$$$$x = "Variables";
$$$$$$$x = "Is";
$$$$$$$$x = "They";
$$$$$$$$$x = "Never";
$$$$$$$$$$x = "End!";
echo "$x ${$x} ${${$x}} ${${${$x}}} ${${${${$x}}}} ${${${${${$x}}}}} 
${${${${${${$x}}}}}} ${${${${${${${$x}}}}}}} ${${${${${${${${$x}}}}}}}}
${${${${${${${${${$x}}}}}}}}}";

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