php java in memory database

Question

i need to load data as array to memory in PHP.but in PHP if i write $array= array("1","2"); in test.php then this $array variable is initialized every time user requests.if we request test.php 100 times by clicking 100 times browser refresh button then this $array variable will be executed 100 times.

but i need to execute the $array variable only one time for first time request and subsequent request of test.php must not execute the $array variable.but only use that memory location.how can i do that in PHP.

but in JAVA SEVRVLET it is easy to execute,just write the $array variable in one time execution of init() method of servlet lifecycle method and subsequent request of that servlet dont execute init() method but service() method but service() method always uses that $array memeory location.

all i want to initilize $array variable once but use that memory loc from subsequent request in PHP.is there any possiblity in PHP?

Answer 1

PHP has different kind of execution.
In general, it's impossible in PHP and it's OK.

Answer 2

You can try the following:

<?php
/* test.php */
if (empty($GLOBALS['array'])) {
    $GLOBALS['array'] = array("1", "2");
}
?>

Answer 3

All variables are destroyed at request shutdown, there is no built-in mechanism to do what you want in php.

Answer 4

PHP works differently than a Java Servlet container. Every new request basically starts an entirely new instance of the PHP interpreter, therefore you don't have a global adress space across requests (you do have a session per user which gets usually persisted to a file to keep variables across requests for one user).

A thing that might come close to it would be to use memcached with PHP as your "database", but you will have to send a request to the memcached server every time you need your array. That is why I think your array (if it doesn't change) is best kept and initialized in the PHP file.