- var_dump: documentation ( source)
- unserialize: documentation ( source)
- serialize: documentation ( source)
- preg_replace: documentation ( source)
<?php
var_dump([
$original_set = [ 'arrayobject' => new arrayobject( [3] ), 'reference?' => [5] ],
$original_serialized = serialize( $original_set ),
$original_unserialized = unserialize( $original_serialized ),
$withreference_serialized = preg_replace( '/a:1:{i:0;i:5;}}/', 'R:4;}', $original_serialized ),
$withreference_unserialized = unserialize( $withreference_serialized ),
$withreference_unserialized['reference?'][9] = 8,
# $withreference_unserialized,
# $withreference_unserialized['arrayobject'][9] === $withreference_unserialized['reference?'][9]
# ? 'looks like a reference' : 'does not look like a reference' ,
]) ;