Share variables between requests?

[Anon]

Can php share variable between different requests?

You can store variable in a database or flat file, but is it also possible that a variable resides in the server memory and then can be accessed by different processes.

For example:
server starts prepare.php
browser1 requests php1.php
browser2 requests php2.php

prepare.php

load_db()
put_array_in_memory()

php1.php

get_array_from_memory()
parse_data_from_array()
display_data()

php2.php

get_array_from_memory()
manipulate_array()
put_array_in_memory()

We all know that memory is one of the fastest storages, so why not use it, for as example as cache? (size limited of course)

[kparker]

If you're running on a unix variant, you can use the shared memory module. Otherwise, no.

As far as why not use memory: part of Apache's vaunted stability comes from the fact that it doesn't do tricks like that, but in fact has single very limited and carefully tested core module that receives the incoming connections, and all the real work is done by child processes that are killed off after serving a modest number of requests. Thus, all but the very worst memory leaks are simply not an issue.

[Anon]

Thanks for your pointer, i will do a search on php in combination with the shared memory modules.

I know that php is not java, but sun did a remarkeble job with servlets. They can share variable between request and they appear to be stable, the memory management is done by the garbage collection, so no memory leaks.

Don't get me wrong, but are there any plans of implenting a couple features that i have just wrote down in a future version of php?

No offence, but i thought that mod_perl has the abillity (difficult word 🙂) to share variables between request. Is php not getting a behind on these sort of things?