Return a reference from member function?

[Anon]

What is the syntax for returning a reference from a member function defined in an object.

From the PHP manual, here's how you do it with a regular function:

function &returns_reference() {
return $someref;
}

$newref =&returns_reference();

What is the analogous syntax when dealing with objects and their methods? This generates a parse error:

class myClass {
var $foo;

function &setFoo($bar) {
	$this->foo = $bar;
	return $this->foo;
}

}

$a = new myClass;
$b = $a->&setFoo("tomato"); // $b should be a reference to $a->foo
echo $a->foo; // should print "tomato"
$b = "potato";
echo $a->foo; // should print "potato"

Writing $a->setFoo("tomato") (removing the ampersand) parses but doesn't work.

Thanks for any help!

-dave

[Anon]

You need to do $b = &$a->set_foo("vege");

You're setting it to the value returned from the function on the object...doing like ->& is so screwey I don't even know how to explain what you are trying to do.

[Anon]

Thanks - that did the trick.

References beginning to make sense to me now...

-dave