当您希望简单地更改原始变量并将其返回到相同的变量名并赋予其新值时，可以将此用于函数。

function add(&$var){ // The & is before the argument $var
   $var++;
}
$a = 1;
$b = 10;
add($a);
echo "a is $a,";
add($b);
echo " a is $a, and b is $b"; // Note: $a and $b are NOT referenced

关于如何将对象传递给函数，你仍然需要理解，没有“&”，你传递给函数的是一个对象句柄，对象句柄仍然是通过值传递的，它包含一个指针的值。但你不能改变这个指针，直到你通过引用传递它使用“&”

<?php
        class Example 
        {
            public $value;
         
        }
        
        function test1($x) 
        {
             //let's say $x is 0x34313131
             $x->value = 1;  //will reflect outsite of this function
                             //php use pointer 0x34313131 and search for the 
                             //address of 'value' and change it to 1

        }
        
        function test2($x) 
        {
             //$x is 0x34313131
             $x = new Example;
             //now $x is 0x88888888
             //this will NOT reflect outside of this function 
             //you need to rewrite it as "test2(&$x)"
             $x->value = 1000; //this is 1000 JUST inside this function
                 
        
        }
         
     $example = new Example;
    
     $example->value = 0;
    
     test1($example); // $example->value changed to  1
    
     test2($example); // $example did NOT changed to a new object 
                      // $example->value is still 1
     
 ?>

class Holder
{
    private $value;

    public function __construct( $value )
    {
        $this->value = $value;
    }

    public function getValue()
    {
        return $this->value;
    }

    public function setValue( $value )
    {
        return $this->value = $value;
    }
}

class Swap
{       
    public function SwapObjects( Holder $x, Holder $y )
    {
        $tmp = $x;

        $x = $y;

        $y = $tmp;
    }

    public function SwapValues( Holder $x, Holder $y )
    {
        $tmp = $x->getValue();

        $x->setValue($y->getValue());

        $y->setValue($tmp);
    }
}


$a1 = new Holder('a');

$b1 = new Holder('b');



$a2 = new Holder('a');

$b2 = new Holder('b');


Swap::SwapValues($a1, $b1);

Swap::SwapObjects($a2, $b2);



echo 'SwapValues: ' . $a2->getValue() . ", " . $b2->getValue() . "<br>";

echo 'SwapObjects: ' . $a1->getValue() . ", " . $b1->getValue() . "<br>";

属性在没有通过引用传递时仍然是可以修改的，所以要小心。

输出:

SwapObjects: b, a SwapValues: a, b

取决于版本，4是值，5是引用。

在PHP中，默认情况下，对象作为新对象的引用传递。

请看这个例子:

class X {
  var $abc = 10; 
}

class Y {

  var $abc = 20; 
  function changeValue($obj)
  {
   $obj->abc = 30;
  }
}

$x = new X();
$y = new Y();

echo $x->abc; //outputs 10
$y->changeValue($x);
echo $x->abc; //outputs 30

现在看这个:

class X {
  var $abc = 10; 
}

class Y {

  var $abc = 20; 
  function changeValue($obj)
  {
    $obj = new Y();
  }
}

$x = new X();
$y = new Y();

echo $x->abc; //outputs 10
$y->changeValue($x);
echo $x->abc; //outputs 10 not 20 same as java does.

现在看这个:

class X {
  var $abc = 10; 
}

class Y {

  var $abc = 20; 
  function changeValue(&$obj)
  {
    $obj = new Y();
  }
}

$x = new X();
$y = new Y();

echo $x->abc; //outputs 10
$y->changeValue($x);
echo $x->abc; //outputs 20 not possible in java.

我希望你能理解。

在PHP 5中通过引用传递对象，在PHP 4中通过值传递对象。 默认情况下，变量是按值传递的!

阅读此处:http://www.webeks.net/programming/php/ampersand-operator-used-for-assigning-reference.html