title: Does referencing a variable in a php function help save memory?
body: <p>For example are the following two functions the same or not when one compares how memory is being managed:</p>
  
  <pre><code>$hello = 'hello';
  
  my_echo($hello);
  
  //Better or worse than
  my_echo_ref($hello);
  
  //case 1, no referencing:
  function my_echo($word) {
   echo $word;
  } 
  
  //case 2, referencing:
  function my_echo_ref(&amp;$word) {
    echo $word;
  }
  </code></pre>