PHP5 object construct

I read about a feature of PHP5 OOP that is something like this in a book or
a magazine a while back. But now I don't remember exactly how this works
and I can't find any reference to it in the online docs. The basic idea is
something along these lines:

class MyClass {

private $bob;
public $Bob {
set( $var ) {
$this->bob = $var;

}
get() {
return $this->bob;

}
}
}

Could someone point me to the relevant section of the docs that discusses
this?

thnx,
Chris

http://us2.php.net/class



On 9/22/06, Chris Boget <chris.boget@wild.net> wrote:
> I read about a feature of PHP5 OOP that is something like this in a book or
> a magazine a while back. But now I don't remember exactly how this works
> and I can't find any reference to it in the online docs. The basic idea is
> something along these lines:
>
> class MyClass {
>
> private $bob;
> public $Bob {
> set( $var ) {
> $this->bob = $var;
>
> }
> get() {
> return $this->bob;
>
> }
> }
> }
>
> Could someone point me to the relevant section of the docs that discusses
> this?
>
> thnx,
> Chris
>
> --
> PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
>
>

> well, perhaps I'm not seeing what it is that you're looking for.

No, I'm not sure you are. Take a look at my sample code again. Pay
particular attention to how both $bob and $Bob are defined.

class MyClass {

private $bob;

public $Bob {
set( $var ) {
$this->bob = $var;

}
get() {
return $this->bob;

}
}
}

thnx,
Chris

PHP has __set and __get in some versions...

I think that's what you are looking for.

If you told us which particular feature in that pile of code you're
asking about, it would help...

I still wouldn't know the answer, as I don't do OOP in PHP much, but
somebody might.

On Fri, September 22, 2006 7:32 pm, Chris Boget wrote:
>> well, perhaps I'm not seeing what it is that you're looking for.
>
> No, I'm not sure you are. Take a look at my sample code again. Pay
> particular attention to how both $bob and $Bob are defined.
>
> class MyClass {
>
> private $bob;
>
> public $Bob {
> set( $var ) {
> $this->bob = $var;
>
> }
> get() {
> return $this->bob;
>
> }
> }
> }
>
> thnx,
> Chris
>
> --
> PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
>
>


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> ok, so if we were talking Java, perhaps you are looking for
> information that allows you to build 'accessor' and 'mutator' methods?

Yes, exactly. I was flipping through a PHP5 book (possibly a magazine, but
it was definitely about PHP5 and not Java) and I saw this new language
construct. Since I've done a bit of dabbling in C#, have used it there and
found it useful, I thought it was really cool that PHP5 had implemented it.

thnx,
Chris

> ok, so if we were talking Java, perhaps you are looking for
> information that allows you to build 'accessor' and 'mutator' methods?
> If so, then your example should work (syntax aside). Here's another
> 'test' example that I just whipped up and tested that shows you can
> use any method name you wish.

As I said previously, accessor/mutator methods are exactly what I am looking
for. I do like the idea of having a public 'interface' (for the lack of a
better word) to a private property. I don't particularly care for using
just the __set() and __get() methods because they are too arbitrary. If I
needed to do any specific checking or formatting for a property, either in
defining or returning the value, I'd have to have a big giant switch()
statement. So here is a roundabout solution that I got the idea/code for
while researching this issue:

class MyClass {

private $_bob;

// Private so all property access is done through the
// __set() and __get() methods
private function setBob( $bob ) {
$this->_bob = $bob;

}
private function getBob() {
return $this->_bob;

}

function __get( $var ) {
$methodName = 'get' . $var;
if( method_exists( $this, $methodName )) {
return call_user_func( array( $this, $methodName ));

} else {
throw new Exception( 'Method [' . $methodName . '] does not exist' );

}
// echo "In __get( $var )\n";
}

function __set( $key, $var ) {
$methodName = 'set' . $key;
if( method_exists( $this, $methodName )) {
call_user_func( array( $this, $methodName ), $var );

} else {
throw new Exception( 'Method [' . $methodName . '] does not exist' );

}
// echo "In __set( $key, $var )\n";
}

function __call( $method, $args ) {
// echo 'Calling [' . $method . '] with args: [' . print_r( $args, TRUE )
.. ']';

}
}

try {
$myClass = new MyClass();
$myClass->Bob = 'JoeBobBriggs' ;
echo '$myClass: <pre>' . print_r( $myClass, TRUE ) . '</pre>';
echo $myClass->Bob . '';

} catch( Exception $e ) {
echo 'Caught exception: ', $e->getMessage(), "\n";

}

Now I can do whatever checking I need to do in the setBob() method and any
formatting in the getBob() method.

The above is not my original idea and I wish I could remember the name of
the person to thank for pointing me in this direction. :|

thnx,
Chris