Online PHP editor | output for qD3Eb

<?php class Item { public static function newWithParent(Item $parent) { $item = new Item(); $item->parent = $parent; return $item; } private $parent; public function getParent() { return $this->parent; } } $item = Item::newWithParent(Item::newWithParent(Item::newWithParent(new Item()))); // Basically it's this now: {"parent":{"parent":{"parent":{"parent":null}}}} // I want to set that null value $current = $item; do { $current =& $current->getParent(); if ($current->getParent() === null) { $current =& new Item(); break; } } while (true); var_dump($item);