For my PHP based assignment, I believe I have to use objects (Including items like a collection class, collection iterator and so on), as well as a MySQL database.
My question is, why would I need to create items as objects, store them in a database then create them as objects again when pulled out of the database when I can just put and get the items straight into and out of the database and use them for what I need straight away?
Or perhaps better phrased, what would be the benefit, if there is one, of storing objects in PHP memory (Wherever PHP stores things), as well as storing them in a database as opposed to just storing them in a database?
Storing data in memory, as objects, is only a representation of your data from the database — the two are not the same.
PHP objects in memory are not persistent at all, your MySQL storage is. Having them “in memory” is just for usage “simplicity”.