Possible to create a class that has a default value [duplicate] - php

Question

This question already has an answer here:
Overloading method of comparison for custom class
(1 answer)
Closed 9 years ago.
I was wondering if there is a way to create a class in PHP that when compared with other variables a default value is used instead of the class itself? such that:
class Test {
private $name;
private $val;
public function __construct($name, $val) {
$this->name = $name;
$this->val = $val;
}
public __default() {
return $val;
}
public function getName() {
return $name;
}
}
then I could use a function like __default when I compare it to another value such as:
$t = new Test("Joe", 12345);
if($t == 12345) { echo "I want this to work"; }
the phrase "I want this to work" will print.

Answer 1

As far as I know this is not possible. The closest thing you're looking for is the __toString() method to be set on the class.
http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.magic.php
PHP might try to convert it to an Integer, but I'm not sure if there are class methods to accomplish this. You could try string comparison.
<?php
class Test {
private $name;
private $val;
public function __construct($name, $val) {
$this->name = $name;
$this->val = $val;
}
public function __toString() {
return (string)$this->val;
}
public function __toInt() {
return $this->val;
}
public function getName() {
return $this->name;
}
}
$t = new Test("Joe", 12345);
if($t == '12345') { echo "I want this to work"; }

Answer 2

The __toString magic method will do what you want with some caveats:
class Test {
private $name;
private $val;
public function __construct($name, $val) {
$this->name = $name;
$this->val = $val;
}
public function __toString() {
return $this->val;
}
public function getName() {
return $this->name;
}
}
Objects can't be directly cast to an integer so will always get a when comparing to an integer but if you cast either side of the comparison to a string it will work as expected.
if($t == 12345) // false with a warning about can't cast object to integer
if((string)$t == 12345) // true
if($t == "12345") // true

Answer 3

Implement __toString() in your class.
Like:
class myClass {
// your stuff
public function __toString() {
return "something, or a member property....";
}
}

Answer 4

Your object will unlikely equals integer. But you can implement something similar to Java's hashCode() - a class method that do some math to produce numeric hash - a return value based on i.e. its internal state, variables etc. Then compare these hash codes.

Answer 5

Why not something along this line:
class Test {
private $name;
private $val;
public function __construct($name, $val) {
$this->name = $name;
$this->val = $val;
}
public __default() {
return $val;
}
public compare($input) {
if($this->val == $input)
return TRUE;
return FALSE;
}
public function getName() {
return $name;
}
}
$t = new Test("Joe", 12345);
if($t->compare(12345)) { echo "I want this to work"; }
From other answers it appears there is not a built in function to handle this.