--TEST-- list() can be used to destructure to string offsets, __set and ArrayAccess::offsetSet --FILE-- values[$name] = $value; } } class Arr implements ArrayAccess { public $values = []; public function offsetSet($name, $value) { $this->values[$name] = $value; } public function offsetGet($name) {} public function offsetExists($name) {} public function offsetUnset($name) {} } $str = 'ab'; list($str[0], $str[1]) = ['x', 'y']; var_dump($str); $obj = new Obj; list($obj->foo, $obj->bar) = ['foo', 'bar']; var_dump($obj->values); $arr = new Arr; list($arr['foo'], $arr['bar']) = ['foo', 'bar']; var_dump($arr->values); ?> --EXPECT-- string(2) "xy" array(2) { ["foo"]=> string(3) "foo" ["bar"]=> string(3) "bar" } array(2) { ["foo"]=> string(3) "foo" ["bar"]=> string(3) "bar" }