At the moment i am trying to create a helper class for our template designers, that have minimal PHP knowledge, so i would like to make it as fool proof as possible.
In that process i have stumbled upon a question i never really considered before:
How does one check to see if a parameter to a method call is the value of a defined class constant?
I can think of several ways to do it using reflection or the like, but was wondering if there is some way more simple that i have overlooked.
Taking a class like the following:
class Foo{
const TYPE_A = 'A';
const TYPE_B = 'B';
const TYPE_C = 'C';
public static function doSomething($type){
//Check to see if $type is indeed a class constant
}
}
//This would work
Foo::doSomething(Foo::TYPE_A);
Foo::doSomething(Foo::TYPE_B);
Foo::doSomething(Foo::TYPE_C);
Foo::doSomething('A');
Foo::doSomething('B');
Foo::doSomething('C');
//This should fail
Foo::doSomething('BAR');
Besides using reflection i could just use a private array or the like, but that would really defeat the purpose of the constants, or require that data is updated several places.
Does not seem to be possible without reflection or custom hacks so i am closing this
You can check if the constant is defined with http://php.net/manual/en/function.defined.php
public static function doSomething($type){
if (defined('self::' . $type)) {
// do someting
}
}
Related
This is somewhat a follow up to a previous question - but I've distilled the question down and have the "works" vs. "doesn't work" cases narrowed down much more precisely.
My Goal:
I have a class MyClass that has an instance variable myFunction. Upon creating a MyClass object (instantiating), the constructor assigns the instance variable myFunction with the result of a call to create_function (where the code and args come from a db call).
Once this object of type MyClass is created (and stored as an instance variable of another class elsewhere) I want to be able to call myFunction (the instance variable anonymous function) from "anywhere" that I have the MyClass object.
Experimental Cases -- below is my highly simplified test code to illustrate what works vs. what doesn't (i.e. when the expected functionality breaks)
class MyClass extends AnotherClass {
public $myFunction;
function __construct() {
$functionCode = 'echo "NyanNyanNyan";';
$this->myFunction();
/*Now the following code works as expected if put in here for testing*/
$anonFunc = $this->myFunction;
$anonFunc(); //This call works just fine (echos to page)!
/*And if i make this call, it works too! */
self::TestCallAnon();
}
public function TestCallAnon() {
$anonFunc2 = $this->myFunction;
$anonFunc2();
}
}
However, if I do the following (in another file, it errors saying undefined function () in... within the Apache error log.
//I'm using Yii framework, and this is getting the user
//objects instance variable 'myClass'.
$object = Yii::app()->user->myClass;
$object->TestCallAnon(); // **FAILS**
or
$func = $object->myFunction;
$func(); // ** ALSO FAILS **
In addition, several variations of calls to call_user_func and call_user_func_array don't work.
If anyone is able to offer any insight or help that would be great :).
Thanks in advance!
You can't pass references to functions around in PHP like you can in for instance JavaScript.
call_user_func has limited functionality. You can use it like so:
class MyClass {
function func() {}
static function func() {}
}
function myfunc() {}
$i = new MyClass();
call_user_func("myfunc", $args);
call_user_func(array($i, "func"), $args);
call_user_func(array(MyClass, "staticFunc"), $args);
I ended up solving this issue via a workaround that ended up being a better choice anyways.
In the end I ended up having a static class that had a method to randomly return one of the possible identifiers, and then another method which accepted that identifier to build the anonymous function upon each class.
Slightly less elegant than I would like but it ends up working well.
Thanks to everyone for your efforts.
Can I define a class constant inside the class constructor function ?
(based on certain conditions)
That goes against the idea of class constants - they should not be dependent on a specific instance. You should use a variable instead.
However, if you insist on doing this, are very adventurous and can install PHP extensions, you can have a look at the runkit extension that allows to modify classes and their constants at runtime. See this doc: http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.runkit-constant-add.php
I don't think you can.
It wouldn't make sense, either - a class constant can be used in a static context, where there is no constructor in the first place.
You'll have to use a variable instead - that's what they're there for.
Try look here:
http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.constants.php
http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.static.php
Hope this helps.
As far as standard instance constructors go, there is no way to do this, and as others have pointed out, it wouldn't make sense. These constructors are called per created object instance, at the point they are created. There is no guarantee this constructor would get called before some code tried to access the constant. It also doesn't make sense in that the code would get called over and over again each time a new instance was constructed, whereas a const should only get set once.
It would be nice if PHP either offered some kind of static constructor that let you set the value one time for uninitialized constants, or allowed more types of expressions when defining constants. But these are not currently features of PHP. In 2015 an RFC was made that proposed adding static class constructors, but it is, at the time of me writing this answer, still in the draft status, and has not been modified since 2017.
I think the best alternative for now is to not use constants in this kind of scenario, and instead use static methods that return the value you want. This is very simple in that it only uses the PHP language features as is (not requiring any special extensions), these static methods can be called in the standard way, and you don't need to hack the autoloading process to call some kind of initializer function that sets static variables. The method might need to rely on private static variables in order to make sure the same instance is returned every time, if an object instance is being returned. You would need to write the implementation of this method to be constant like in the sense that it will always return the same thing, but takes advantage of being able to do things you can't do with a constant, like return on object instance or rely on complex expressions or function calls. Here is an example:
final class User
{
/** #var DefinitelyPositiveInt|null */ private static $usernameMaxLength;
public static function getUsernameMaxLengthConst(): DefinitelyPositiveInt
{
if ($usernameMaxLength === null) {
$usernameMaxLength = new DefinitelyPositiveInt(40);
}
return $usernameMaxLength;
}
}
$usernameInput.maxLength = User::getUsernameMaxLengthConst();
This is still not a perfect solution because it relies on the programmer to write these in a constant like way when that is desired (always returning the same value). Also, I don't like that the best place to document the fact that it is a const is in the method name, thus making it even longer to call. I also don't like that you now have to call it as a method instead of just accessing a property, which would be syntactically nicer.
This example is essentially an implementation of a singleton, but sometimes the purpose of a singleton is to be a constant rather than just a singleton. What I mean is, you might want the instance to always exist, and it might be an immutable type (none of the properties are public or mutable, only having methods that return new objects/values).
I am sorry to break it to you but it is not possible in vanilla PHP.
I am not very sure about frameworks or extensions but I am sure that it is not possible in vanilla PHP.
I recommend you to use variables instead.
You still can't, but maybe some of these (progressively weirder) ideas (just ideas, not true solutions) will work for you:
(1) You could use a private property, with a public getter method. The property cannot be modified outside the class, such as constants, but unfortunately it is accessed as a method, not as a constant, so the syntax is not the same.
class aClass{
private $const;
function __construct($const){
$this->const=$const;
}
function const(){
return $this->const;
}
}
$var1=new aClass(1);
echo $var1->const(); //Prints 1
(2) If you really want this value to be accessed as constant from outside, you can use define () inside the constructor. Unfortunately it doesn't get tied to the class or object name (as it do when you use const, using for example myClass::myConst). Furthermore, it only works if you create a single instance of the class. The second object you create is going to throw an error for redefining the constant, because is untied.
class otherClass{
function __construct($const){
define('_CONST',$const);
}
function const(){
return _CONST;
}
}
$var2=new otherClass('2');
echo $var2->const(); //Prints 2
echo _CONST; //Prints 2
#$var3=new aClass('3'); //Notice: Constant _CONST already defined
echo _CONST; //Still prints 2!
(3) Perhaps that last problem can be solved by giving variable names to the constants, related to the object to which they belong. This may be a bit weird... but maybe it works for someone.
class onemoreClass{
private $name;
function __construct($const,$name){
$this->name=$name;
$constname=$this->name."_CONST";
define($constname,$const);
}
function const(){
return constant($this->name.'_CONST');
}
}
$name='var4';
$$name=new onemoreClass(4,$name);
echo $var4->const(); //Prints 4
echo var4_CONST; //Prints 4
$name='var5';
$$name=new onemoreClass(5,$name);
echo $var5->const(); //Prints 5
echo var5_CONST; //Prints 5
i'm php coder, trying to get into python world, and it's very hard for me.
Biggest enjoy of static methods in php is automatic builder of instance. No need to declare object, if you needed it once, in every file (or with different constructor params , in one line)
<?php
class Foo {
function __constructor__(){
$this->var = 'blah';
}
public static function aStaticMethod() {
return $this->var;
}
}
echo Foo::aStaticMethod();
?>
we can call constructor from static method don't we? and we can access everything in class as it would be simple method ... we can even have STATIC CONSTRUCTOR in php class and call it like so: Object::construct()->myMethod(); (to pass different params every time)
but not in python???? #staticmethod makes method in class a simple function that doesn't see totally anything ??
class socket(object):
def __init__(self):
self.oclass = otherclass()
print 'test' # does this constructor called at all when calling static method??
#staticmethod
def ping():
return self.oclass.send('PING') # i can't access anything!!!
print Anidb.ping()
I can't access anything from that god damned static method, it's like a standalone function or something like this..??
Maybe I'm using the wrong decorator? Maybe there's something like php offers with static methods in python?
1) Please tell why static methods is isolated
2) Please tell me how to make the same behavior like php static methods have.
3) Please tell me alternative practical use of this, if php static methods behavior is a bad thing
P.s. the goal of all this to write totally less code as much as possible.
P.p.s Heavy commenting of sample code is appreciated
Thank you.
static methods in PHP are not as you believe, they can't access to instance members. No $this! with them.
<?php
class Foo {
public static $var = 'foo ';
function __construct(){
echo 'constructing ';
$this->var = 'blah ';
}
public function aMethod() {
return $this->var;
}
public static function aStaticMethod() {
#return $this->$var; -> you can't do that,
# $this can be accessed only in instance methods, not static
return self::$var;
}
}
$foo = new Foo();
echo $foo->aMethod();
echo Foo::aStaticMethod();
?>
Python has three kind of methods in objects static methods are like functions defined ouside classes, the only use to put them in object is to keep them with the class as helper functions. class methods can access only to variables defined in the class (decorator #classmethod). This is more or less what PHP calls static members or methods. The first parameter of such methods sould be cls, and content of class can be accessed through cls. Normal methods must get self as first parameter and are the only ones to be able to access to instance members.
If you want several objects of the same type you definitely need instances, and the other types are not what you are looking for. If you only have one instance of an object, you could use class methods instead (or PHP static methods).
But in most case you should not bother doing that if you don't know why and just stick with instances of objects and normal methods, doing otherwise is premature optimization and your code is likely to bite you later because of the many restrictions you introduce.
You want classmethod instead. That provides the class as the first argument.
EDIT:
class C(object):
foo = 42
#classmethod
def printfoo(cls):
print cls.foo
C.printfoo()
I see you've already accepted another answer, but I'm not sure that it will work with your code. Specifically, the oclass variable is only created for instances of the class, not for the class itself. You could do it like this:
class socket(object):
oclass = otherclass()
#classmethod
def ping(cls):
return cls.oclass.send('PING')
socket.ping()
However, using your existing code and removing all decorators, you could simply instantiate it and use a method on the same line:
socket().ping()
You can redirect calls to some properties/functions by using __get, __call.
Is there a way to do it for classes?
I would like to convert all mentions of some_class_name in the code to, MY_VERSION_some_class_name (not only for one class, it's a pattern).
This would be easy if methods / properties were the target of this renaming policy.
Can you think of a way to do it for classes in PHP?
Edit: I need this for referencing to different variants of classes in different situations. I need one class name to be resolved to different variants of this class, depending on a condition known at runtime, and persistent through the whole session.
Thanks
p.s.
If you are curious why I want to do this, look at Maintaining variants of an application
You can't convert all mentions of some_class_name in the code to another class. However, you can use variables as class names:
$className = "MyClass";
$obj = new $className;
$className::myMethod();
All you have to do is change the variable and you will be using a different class. If you have to do this for a lot of classes, you might want to create some sort of factory for it.
$factory = System::getFactory();
$obj = $factory->getAuthObj();
Basically, the System class would return a different object based on what class needed to be used for that particular run time.
Aiden's untested approach: variable variables and generating a string:
<?php
$dog = "12";
function getDogClass($myNum)
{
global $dog;
// Do something dynamic here;
$dog = "Dog_" . $myNum;
return "dog";
}
class Dog_13rc1
{
function __construct()
{
printf("Woof!");
}
}
class Dog_12
{
function __construct()
{
printf("Grrrr");
}
}
$myObj = new ${getDogClass('13rc1')}();
?>
As long as the call to getDogClass() returns a string of the name of a variable in scope then you are good.
The output is woof.
This means the only refactoring you need is to find/replace occurences of the class name with that call.
But this is grim. and probably slow. Also, a maintenance/bug-tracking nightmare type of hack.
The magic function you want is __autoload:
function __autoload($class_name) {
// include your special class in here
include $class_name . '.php';
}
Read more here: http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.autoload.php
I have a very special case in which I need to call a protected method from outside a class. I am very conscious about what I do programmingwise, but I would not be entirely opposed to doing so in this one special case I have. In all other cases, I need to continue disallowing access to the internal method, and so I would like to keep the method protected.
What are some elegant ways to access a protected method outside of a class? So far, I've found this.
I suppose it may be possible create some kind of double-agent instance of the target class that would sneakily provide access to the internals...
In PHP you can do this using Reflections.
To invoke protected or private methods use the setAccessible() method
http://php.net/reflectionmethod.setaccessible (just set it to TRUE)
I would think that in this case, refactoring so you don't require this sort of thing is probably the most elegant way to go. In saying that one option is to use __call and within that parse debug_backtrace to see which class called the method. Then check a friends whitelst
class ProtectedClass {
// Friend list
private $friends = array('secret' => array('FriendClass'));
protected function secret($arg1, $arg2) {
// ...
}
public function __call($method, $args) {
$trace = debug_backtrace();
$class = $trace[1]['class'];
if(in_array($class, $this->friends[$method]))
return $this->$method($args[0], $args[1]);
throw new Exception();
}
}
I think I need a shower.
This is a little kludgy, but might be an option.
Add a child class for the sake of accessing your protected function
public class Child extends Parent {
public function protectedFunc() {
return parent::protectedFunc();
}
}
Then, instantiate an instance of Child instead of Parent where you need to call that function.
I'm just throwing this out there since I haven't programmed in PHP in two years. Could you just add a function to the class that calls the protected method like so?
$obj->publicFunc = create_function('$arg', 'return $this->protectedFunc($arg);');
Edit:
I think Tom's correct in looking at the documentation for create_function. It looks like the scope of $this will be "wrong" when you try to call it with this example.
It looks like traditional anonymous functions are supported since PHP 5.3.0 as well (and my first solution probably won't work), so I'd probably write it like this instead:
$obj->publicFunc = function($arg) {
return $this->protectedFunc($arg);
};
Since I think it looks a little cleaner (and your IDE of choice will highlight it better of course).
Ugh, I tried using Reflection to call the method but PHP won't allow you to do that either. It seems that you're going to have to use some sort of child class like the other posters have suggested. If you find a method that works, the developers will likely classify it as a bug in the future and break your code when you upgrade to the next version.
I recommend extending the class.
I'd think about what is the matter with the program design if I have to call a private function?
It used to be the case when
your class is responsible for several things (it is really two or thre calsses wrapped together) or
the rules of encapsulation are broken (utility functions, for example)
By finding any way to walk around this questions, you'll be nowhere nearer to the real solution.
Suppose your method declaration goes like so:
protected function getTheFoo() {
...
}
protected function setTheFoo($val) {
...
}
Usage:
$obj->__get('the_foo');
$obj->__set('the_foo', 'myBar');
This bypasses the protected methods and goes directly straight to the instance variables.