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Q:

How do I pass variables by reference to a function in PHP?

Hey everyone,

I'm relatively new to PHP and I've been struggling with passing variables by reference to a function. I understand that passing variables by reference allows me to modify the value of a variable outside the function. However, I'm not sure about the syntax and the correct way to implement it in my code.

To give you some context, I'm currently working on a project where I need to update the value of a variable within a function and have the changes reflected outside of it. I've tried a few different approaches, but none of them seem to work for me.

Here's an example of what I've tried so far:

```php
function updateValue(&$var) {
$var = "Updated value";
}

$myVar = "Original value";
updateValue($myVar);
echo $myVar; // Output: should be "Updated value"
```

From what I've researched, the `&` symbol is used to pass a variable by reference. However, when I run the code, the output is still "Original value" instead of "Updated value". I'm not sure where I'm going wrong.

I would greatly appreciate if anyone could guide me on the correct syntax and approach to passing variables by reference in PHP. Are there any other considerations or pitfalls I should be aware of? Your help would be invaluable. Thanks in advance!

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