PHP how to split path to object attribute - php

Question

I have source of data and it is like:
$sourceData = json_decode($sourceData);
OR
$sourceData = simplexml_load_string($sourceData);
but possibly it could be another type of source and the result is probably php object with path to attributes like this:
$sourceData->product->time[$x]->location->precipitation['value'];
and I would like to split the path like this:
$rootPath = $sourceData->product->time[$x];
$rest = ?
/* probably something like '{$location}->{$precipitation}['value']
but I want the rest in one variable like
$rest = 'location->precipitation['value'];
*/
so at the end I should load paths like or similar to:
$temperature = 'location->data->something->temperature['value'];'
$precipitation = 'location->xxx->yyy->precip['data'];'
and use like:
for($i)
{
$temp = $root[$i]->temperature;
$precip = $root[$i]->precipitation;
}

Answer 1

This can be done with dynamic paths (like "dot notation"), but I'd hold off with it and make sure I really need that. It might be slow and it's used in more generic situations - unknown variable paths that client will provide.
Cleaner way would be encapsulating each root subtree ($data->product->time) within object with methods that can reach deep inside and return what you want. For example:
class ProductProperties
{
private $data;
public function __construct($data)
{
$this->data = $data;
}
public function temperature()
{
return $this->data->location->something->temperature['value'];
}
//...
}
Then creating instance and calling it within loop (or separate loops):
foreach ($sourceData as $root) {
$properties = new ProductProperties($root);
$temp = $properties->temperature();
}