The script shown attempts to implement a linked list, but the problem is more general and occurs in many similar situations.

<?
$d1 = @new obj("one");	//	Suppress the warning over the missing argument
$d2 = new obj("two",   $d1);
$d3 = new obj("three", $d2);
$d4 = new obj("four",  $d3);
$d5 = new obj("five",  $d4);

// Dump what should be the entire linked list
$d1->dump();
print("<p>");

// Now to demonstrate the problem:
// No matter where you begin the dump() from, only the
// $this node and its immediate successor are printed.
$d2->dump(); print("<p>");
$d3->dump(); print("<p>");

class obj {
  var $next;
  var $name;
	
  function &obj($name,&$prev) {
    //	Add each new object as the "next" pointer of the preceeding one

    this->name = $name;
    if ($prev) $prev->next = $this;
  }
function dump() {
  for ( $ptr = $this; $ptr; $ptr = $ptr->next) print($ptr->name . "<br>");
  }
}
?>

It seems that when an object's data is manipulated by a different object - even as here, of the same class - the changes made to the object are lost when its context expires.

Configuration: Absolutely standard
Webserver: Apache and IIS ... same problem in both, and under cgi and as a module
Aggravation factor: Immense

Cheer chaps for an otherwise excellent language!