the difference between unset and = null

Question

From a random php.net post:

If you are doing $whatever = null; then you are rewriting variable\'s data. You might get memory freed / shrunk fast

Answer 1

Using the code

$a = str_repeat('hello world ', 10000);

$start1 = microtime(true);
unset($a);
$stop1 = microtime(true);

$a = str_repeat('hello world ', 10000);

$start2 = microtime(true);
$a = null;
$stop2 = microtime(true);

echo 'unset time lap of '. ( $stop1 - $start1 ) .'
';
echo 'null time lap of '. ( $stop2 - $start2 ) .'
';

for 10 times:

unset time lap of 5.0067901611328E-6
null time lap of 1.1920928955078E-6

unset time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7
null time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7

unset time lap of 0
null time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7

unset time lap of 2.1457672119141E-6
null time lap of 1.1920928955078E-6

unset time lap of 2.1457672119141E-6
null time lap of 0

unset time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7
null time lap of 0

unset time lap of 1.9073486328125E-6
null time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7

unset time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7
null time lap of 0

unset time lap of 1.9073486328125E-6
null time lap of 9.5367431640625E-7

unset time lap of 0
null time lap of 0

Looks like null assignment has less processing time more often.