Include file content into property? - php

Question

I've a file called helper.php, in this file I've a list of functions (without class).
Now I need to include the content of helper file, into a property. For do this I've create a loader, this is an example:
class Loader
{
function include($helpName)
{
return include $helpName;
}
}
this Loader is used by my class like so:
class Foo
{
function __construct()
{
$this->load = new Loader();
$this->email = $this->load->include('helper.php');
$this->email->send();
}
}
unfortunately I get this error:
Fatal error: Call to a member function validate_email() on integer
if I print: var_dump($this->email); I'll get: int(1).
What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Unless you're specifically returning at the end of your class, it doesn't work that way. From the docs:
Handling Returns: include returns FALSE on failure and raises a warning. Successful includes, unless overridden by the included file, return 1.
I'd look into autoloading classes, or you can also create a class, and return that from your include.php.
public class Email
{
public function send()
{
echo 'Sending Email';
}
}
return new Email();
An example with autoloading:
//Create Email.php
public class Email
{
public function send()
{
echo 'Sending Email';
}
}
//Main file, set a register, so when it doesn't find a class, it will load from a file, and auto register it.
spl_autoload_register(function ($class_name) {
include $class_name . '.php';
});
class Foo
{
function __construct()
{
$this->load = new Loader();
//If Email class doesn't exist, it will load it from 'Email.php', and then initialize it.
$this->email = new Email();
$this->email->send();
}
}

Answer 2

Included code always runs in global scope. If you want your functions to be incorporated as methods of a class then you would need to create a new file wrapping the functions in
<?php
Class somename {
?>
And...
<?php
}
But writing self modifying code is inherently dangerous. And its ugly. And it will be sensitive to whether you explicitly end the included file with ?>
An alternative approach which sucks as much as that above, is to get a list of the defined functions, and invoke these from the _call() magic method:
Class somename {
public $included;
function _call($fn, $args)
{
return call_user_func_array($this->included[$fn]), $args);
}
}
$obj=new somename();
$before=get_defined_functions();
include('helper.php');
$obj->included=array_diff(get_defined_functions(), $before);
But you wil find that your included code will not run outside of a class if it references $this
Short version: do not do this