What are some best practices for using static variables in PHP to avoid confusion or unexpected behavior?

When using static variables in PHP, it is important to be mindful of their scope and potential side effects. To avoid confusion or unexpected behavior, it is recommended to initialize static variables within a function or method where they are used, rather than relying on global scope. This helps to encapsulate the variable and prevent unintended modifications. 

function exampleFunction() {
    static $counter = 0;
    
    $counter++;
    
    return $counter;
}

Keywords

static variables PHP unexpected behavior confusion best practices

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