Question

Possible Duplicate:
When should I use stdClass and when should I use an array in php5 oo code ??

What are the benefits of using one of the two structures over the other?

// array
$user['name'] = 'Emanuil';

// object
$user->name = 'Emanuil';

Answer 1

Arrays

• There are tons of array_* functions that can work on arrays, most of which are very fast.
• By default they passes by value (copied around)
• Lightweight/Simple (changes only effect local variable, less to think about)
• Often used for build once data (data that doesn’t change)
• All data is public
• Slightly less resource intensive

Objects

• Methods can be used to keep the data stricter. (IE. checks that a field fits a format)
• Subclassing (reducing code duplication)
• By default they are passed by reference
• Changes to data can have cascading effects (__get, __set, etc)
• Often used for data that is more mutable
• Can protect data from outside via functions and protected/private variables
• Function type hinting of objects is more flexible (different typehint for different classes)