更改php数组值

Question

I have this very very basic code

  foreach ($formatted_results as $result) {
          $result['profile_pic']="joe";//set all values to joe
              var_dump( $result['profile_pic']);//prints joe
        }
  foreach ($formatted_results as $result) {

              var_dump( $result['profile_pic']);//does not print joe!
        }

where formatted_results is an array containing other arrays. Now as you can see, I am modifying in the first loop the value of every array within formatted_results to contain the name joe, and then I am printing that to make sure and sure enough, the print of the first loop returns "joe"

However, the value I set is not persisting somehow, as when I loop that same array again to check the inner values of its own arrays, it gives me the old value.

The code is exactly as I am displaying it here, there is nothing in between. I am guessing there is something about pointers that is eluding me here.

Answer 1

The value is not set to the actual array , rather assigned to the current element which is not available outside the loop. You need to set the value to the actual array you are looping through. Try -

foreach ($formatted_results as &$result) {
    $result['profile_pic']="joe";//set all values to joe
}

foreach - Pass by reference

Answer 2

Here is the code :

    foreach ($formatted_results as $k =>  $result) {
          $formatted_results[$k]['profile_pic']="joe";//set all values to joe
              var_dump( $formatted_results[$k]['profile_pic']);//prints joe
        }
  foreach ($formatted_results as $result) {

              var_dump( $result['profile_pic']);//does not print joe!
        }

$result is not gonna save data to $formatted_results