What impact does using "& new" for object instantiation have on performance and memory usage in PHP?

Using "& new" for object instantiation in PHP creates a reference to the newly created object instead of a copy. This can lead to unexpected behavior and potential memory leaks, as objects are not being properly managed by PHP's garbage collector. It is recommended to avoid using "& new" and instead rely on regular object instantiation to ensure proper memory management and performance. 

// Incorrect usage of "& new" for object instantiation
$object1 = & new ClassName();
$object2 = $object1; // $object2 now points to the same object as $object1

// Correct way to instantiate objects in PHP
$object1 = new ClassName();
$object2 = new ClassName(); // Create a new instance of the object

Keywords

PHP object instantiation & new performance memory usage

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