How can overwriting the outer $result variable affect the output in a while loop in PHP?

Overwriting the outer $result variable in a while loop can lead to unexpected behavior as it can affect the data being processed within the loop. To solve this issue, it is recommended to use a different variable name within the loop to store temporary results. This way, the original $result variable remains intact outside the loop. 

<?php
// Original $result variable
$result = [];

// Data processing in a while loop
while ($row = fetch_data()) {
    // Using a different variable name to store temporary results
    $tempResult = process_data($row);
    
    // Add temporary result to the original $result variable
    $result[] = $tempResult;
}

// $result variable now contains processed data
print_r($result);
?>

Keywords

variable scope while loop PHP variable overwrite output impact

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