If I run the following PHP code, I get 123. I don't understand the logic behind it. What I think is when I call the function each time it suppose to output 1. So the output should be like 111.

function keep_track() {




  STATIC $count = 0;




  $count++;




  print $count;




}









keep_track();




keep_track();




keep_track();









// output 123

I know that a static variable holds the value even after the function exits but in the above function I am assigning a value in the very first line, yet it still adding +1 with the previous value of $count.

Could you please explain this? (I am sorry if I sound like a stupid.. but I am trying to find out how exactly this happening)