PHP5: Objects reference - php

Question

I'm writing some entities class in php, that may point between each other with a repository class (to avoid to query too much the database using a local entity repository):
class Foo
{
public $fooId;
public $bar;
function __construct($entity_id)
{
/**
* Some Database stuff to get Foo object based on $entity_id
**/
$this->bar = Repository::get('Bar', $databaseStuff->barId);
}
}
class Bar
{
public $foo;
function __construct($entity_id)
{
/**
* Some Database stuff to get Bar object based on $entity_id
**/
$this->bar = Repository::get('Bar', $databaseStuff->barId);
}
}
class Repository
{
private static $entities = [];
/**
* #param string $entity_name
* #param int $entity_id
* #return mixed
*/
public static function &get($entity_name, $entity_id)
{
$entity_name = ucfirst(strtolower($entity_name));
if(!isset(self::$entities[$entity_name][$entity_id]))
{
self::$entities[$entity_name][$entity_id] =& $entity_name($entity_id);
}
return self::$entities[$entity_name][$entity_id];
}
}
$foo = new Foo(1337);
The problem is that i get a sort of timeout/stack overflow probably due to the fact of $foo->bar is a reference to a Bar object, but $bar->foo is a reference to a Foo object, etc...
I did not forgot to declare my function to return a reference using &get(), am i right?
My class is instantiated with =& operator.
What could be wrong in my code (or in my logic) ?
Thanks.

Answer 1

If I see it right, the constructor of Bar tries to create new Bar.
I suppose such a nested constructing will never end. Its the same e.g. when a function calls itself recursively with no way to exit.
The script will even not come to writing into Repository.
Ever tried xdebug? That could show the problem quite quickly.
And btw there are possibli bad Copy/Paste. The comment in class Foo does not match the line fallowing it. And you are setting $this->bar in class Bar, but only class variable $foo is declared.