<?php
 
define('SOMETHING', true);    
 
class ExampleClass {
    private static $var = array("hi");
 
    public static function exampleFunction() {
        if(SOMETHING) {
            self::$var[] = "hello";
        }
    } //I print out this change and it works, containing both hi and hello
 
    public static function getVar() {
        return self::$var;
    } //this does not return the updated array, only the original with hi
 
}
 
// add hello to the array ExampleClass::$var
ExampleClass::exampleFunction();
 
// get $var
$var = ExampleClass::getVar();
 
var_dump($var);

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