__set() TRUE/FALSE

What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
successful?

At the moment doing

$success = ($foo->bar = "fred");
echo $success

returns "fred", even though the __set function returns TRUE.

Any thoughts?

On Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:26:07 +0100, turnitup <same@same> wrote:

> What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
> successful?
>
> At the moment doing
>
> $success = ($foo->bar = "fred");
> echo $success
>
> returns "fred", even though the __set function returns TRUE.

Indeed, an assignment while be propagated to the left, and as set is a
'magical' function you won't get it's return here.
The most logical action would be to define __get() also, and use:

$success = ($foo->bar == ($foo->bar = 'fred'));

... but depending on the logical behind __get() & __set() this may be
undesirable. An __isset() and check with isset($foo->bar) may be more
appropriate under some circumstances.
--
Rik Wasmus

"turnitup" <same@same> wrote in message
news:4760199b$0$13940$fa0fcedb@news.zen.co.uk...
> What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
> successful?
>
> At the moment doing
>
> $success = ($foo->bar = "fred");
> echo $success
>
> returns "fred", even though the __set function returns TRUE.
>
> Any thoughts?

whatever happens to or during $foo->bar being set, you are doing a double
assignment...two variables being given the same assignment. 'fred' is NOT
being piped to $success through $foo. further, if bar is a *defined*
interface of $foo, __set() will NEVER be called. __set() is meant to handle
*undefined* interfaces the caller is trying to use...a good place to say,
'invalid property accessed'.

turnitup wrote:

> What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
> successful?

Give your object a property:

public $successful_set;

And then have your __set() function set $successful_set to TRUE or FALSE
whenever it is called.

Then after running $foo->bar='fred', you can just check
$foo->successful_set.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
[Geek of HTML/SQL/Perl/PHP/Python/Apache/Linux]
[OS: Linux 2.6.17.14-mm-desktop-9mdvsmp, up 5 days, 9:58.]

Sharing Music with Apple iTunes
http://tobyinkster.co.uk/blog/2007/1...tunes-sharing/

Toby A Inkster wrote:
> turnitup wrote:
>
>> What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
>> successful?
>
> Give your object a property:
>
> public $successful_set;
>
> And then have your __set() function set $successful_set to TRUE or FALSE
> whenever it is called.
>
> Then after running $foo->bar='fred', you can just check
> $foo->successful_set.
>
Good idea! Thinking outside the box. The mark of a creative programmer!

"turnitup" <same@same> wrote in message
news:4761582b$0$8417$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
> Toby A Inkster wrote:
>> turnitup wrote:
>>
>>> What is the easiest way of testing whether a call to __set() has been
>>> successful?
>>
>> Give your object a property:
>>
>> public $successful_set;
>>
>> And then have your __set() function set $successful_set to TRUE or FALSE
>> whenever it is called.
>>
>> Then after running $foo->bar='fred', you can just check
>> $foo->successful_set.
>>
> Good idea! Thinking outside the box. The mark of a creative programmer!

not to take anything away from toby, but that's pretty standard...not very
out-of-the-box at all. however, toby has them often, so pointing this out is
not to his detriment.