Call a function when I access a property (PHP magic methods) - php

Question

basically I'm using PHP Overloading to create dynamic methods and properties. What I want to do is to trigger a function to a property access but keeping the access to its methods.
In other terms, that's my PHP code:
First Class:
class _class {
private $_instance;
public function __construct() {
$this->_instance = new _object();
}
public function __get($name) {
switch ($name) {
case "instance":
//LOGICS
break;
}
return null;
}
}
Second Class:
class _object {
public function __call($method, $args) {
switch ($method) {
case "method":
//LOGICS
break;
}
return null;
}
}
Now I want to execute a function when I access to an object property in this way:
$obj = new _class();
echo $obj->instance; //some output here, executing a function
echo $obj->instance->method(); //different output, executing the method of the instance
Thanks, an help will be really appreciated!

Answer 1

When you instantiate the first class, then you create a $this->_instance instead $obj->instance. So $obj->instance will be null and can not call anything on that.
But, if you try $obj->_instance->method();, that will be bad also, because _instance is private. So you need to add getter. Try this:
class _class {
private $_instance;
public function __construct() {
$this->_instance = new _object();
}
public function __get($name) {
switch ($name) {
case "instance":
echo "Instance";
break;
}
return null;
}
public function getInstance() {
return $this->_instance;
}
}
class _object {
public function __call($method, $args) {
switch ($method) {
case "method":
echo "Method";
break;
}
return null;
}
}
$obj = new _class();
$obj->instance;
$obj->getInstance()->method();
Output is:
Instance
Method