title: Using & to get object's reference in PHP is redundant?
body: <p>In PHP, all object-variables are actually pointers to objects (no?), the language handles this implicitly (right?), yet I see many php code specifying references in parameters such as this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>function someMethod(SomeClass&amp; $obj)
  {
  //...
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I've also seen things like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>function add()
  {
   $object = new SomeClass;
   self::$objects[] =&amp; $object;
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but there wouldn't be any difference here:</p>
  
  <pre><code>self::$objects[] =&amp; new SomeClass
  self::$objects[] = new SomeClass
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Am I right??????</p>
  
  <p>Another thing I tested:</p>
  
  <pre><code>class SomeClass{}
  $obj =&amp; new SomeClass; // is in fact deprecated, doesn't work
  
  $obj = new SomeClass;
  $obj2 =&amp; $obj; // works, but should also be deprecated!! No?
  </code></pre>