PHP: references in assignment -

PHP: references in assignment -

i'm not guru in php, used language plenty know lot of quirks , oddities of syntax , built-in functions. new me:

$ok = is_acceptable($_session['config']); $config = $ok ? &$_session['config'] : retrieve_config();

the compiler tells me & unexpected. wrapping &$_session['config'] in parenthesis won't alter anything, had resolve this:

if ($ok) $config = &$_session['config']; else $config = retrieve_config();

the alternative drop & altogether, create re-create of value , tend avoid that.

why syntax wrong? out of curiosity. bet & mistaken and bitwise operator.

$config = $ok ? &$_session['config'] : retrieve_config();

= in case assigns result of ternary operator, using reference not have effect if syntax accepted.

instead, should think of =& operator, right side must variable, never expression. these cases invalid:

$a =& "abc"; // scalar $a =& ($b); // look

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