$a = 5;
$b = &$a;
unset($b); // just say $b should not point to any variable
print $a; // 5
$a = 5;
$b = &$a;
$b = null; // rewrites value of $b (and $a)
print $a; // nothing, because $a = null
PHP Version: 7.4.8
took 0.22569918632507 seconds null
took 0.11705803871155 seconds unset
took 0.20791196823121 seconds null
took 0.11697316169739 seconds unset
PHP Version: 7.3.20
took 0.22086310386658 seconds null
took 0.11882591247559 seconds unset
took 0.21383500099182 seconds null
took 0.11916995048523 seconds unset
PHP Version: 7.2.32
took 0.24728178977966 seconds null
took 0.12719893455505 seconds unset
took 0.23839902877808 seconds null
took 0.12744522094727 seconds unset
PHP Version: 7.1.33
took 0.51380109786987 seconds null
took 0.50135898590088 seconds unset
took 0.50358104705811 seconds null
took 0.50115609169006 seconds unset
PHP Version: 7.0.33
took 0.50918698310852 seconds null
took 0.50490307807922 seconds unset
took 0.50227618217468 seconds null
took 0.50514912605286 seconds unset
PHP Version: 5.6.40
took 1.0063569545746 seconds null
took 1.6303179264069 seconds unset
took 1.0689589977264 seconds null
took 1.6382601261139 seconds unset
PHP Version: 5.4.45
took 1.0791940689087 seconds null
took 1.6308979988098 seconds unset
took 1.0029168128967 seconds null
took 1.6320278644562 seconds unset
PHP Version: 7.4.8
took 0.053696155548096 seconds
took 0.053897857666016 seconds
PHP Version: 7.3.20
took 0.054572820663452 seconds
took 0.054342031478882 seconds
PHP Version: 7.2.32
took 0.05678391456604 seconds
took 0.057311058044434 seconds
PHP Version: 7.1.33
took 0.097366094589233 seconds
took 0.073100090026855 seconds
PHP Version: 7.0.33
took 0.076443910598755 seconds
took 0.077098846435547 seconds
PHP Version: 7.0.33
took 0.075634002685547 seconds
took 0.075317859649658 seconds
PHP Version: 5.6.40
took 0.29681086540222 seconds
took 0.28199100494385 seconds
PHP Version: 5.4.45
took 0.30513095855713 seconds
took 0.29265689849854 seconds