php-doc-en/language/oop5/overloading.xml

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<!-- $Revision: 1.3 $ -->
 <sect1 id="language.oop5.overloading">
  <title>Overloading</title>

  <para>
   Both method calls and member accesses can be overloaded via the
   __call, __get and __set methods. These methods will only be
   triggered when your object or inherited object doesn't contain the 
   member or method you're trying to access.
  </para>

  <sect2 id="language.oop5.overloading.members">
   <title>Member overloading</title>

   <methodsynopsis>
    <type>void</type><methodname>__set</methodname>
    <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>name</parameter></methodparam>
    <methodparam><type>mixed</type><parameter>value</parameter></methodparam>
   </methodsynopsis>
   <methodsynopsis>
    <type>void</type><methodname>__get</methodname>
    <methodparam><type>mixed</type><parameter>name</parameter></methodparam>
   </methodsynopsis>

   <para>
    Class members can be overloaded to run custom code defined in your class
    by defining these specially named methods. The <varname>$name</varname> 
    parameter used is the name of the variable that should be set or retrieved.
    The __set() method's <varname>$value</varname> parameter specifies the 
    value that the object should set set the <varname>$name</varname>.
   </para>

   <example>
    <title>overloading with __get and __set example</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
class Setter {
  public $n;
  private $x = array("a" => 1, "b" => 2, "c" => 3);

  function __get($nm) {
    print "Getting [$nm]\n";

    if (isset($this->x[$nm])) {
      $r = $this->x[$nm];
      print "Returning: $r\n";
      return $r;
    } else {
      print "Nothing!\n";
    }
  }

  function __set($nm, $val) {
    print "Setting [$nm] to $val\n";

    if (isset($this->x[$nm])) {
      $this->x[$nm] = $val;
      print "OK!\n";
    } else {
      print "Not OK!\n";
    }
  }
}

$foo = new Setter();
$foo->n = 1;
$foo->a = 100;
$foo->a++;
$foo->z++;
var_dump($foo);
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    <para>
     Will output:
    </para>
    <screen role="php">
<![CDATA[
Setting [a] to 100
OK!
Getting [a]
Returning: 100
Setting [a] to 101
OK!
Getting [z]
Nothing!
Setting [z] to 1
Not OK!
object(Setter)#1 (2) {
  ["n"]=>
  int(1)
  ["x:private"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["a"]=>
    int(101)
    ["b"]=>
    int(2)
    ["c"]=>
    int(3)
  }
}
]]>
    </screen>

   </example>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="language.oop5.overloading.methods">
   <title>Method overloading</title>

   <methodsynopsis>
    <type>mixed</type><methodname>__call</methodname>
    <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>name</parameter></methodparam>
    <methodparam><type>array</type><parameter>arguments</parameter></methodparam>
   </methodsynopsis>

   <para>
    Class methods can be overloaded to run custom code defined in your class
    by defining this specially named method. The <varname>$name</varname> 
    parameter used is the name as the function name that was requested 
    to be used. The arguments that were passed in the function will be 
    defined as an array in the <varname>$arguments</varname> parameter.
    The value returned from the __call() method will be returned to the
    caller of the method.
   </para>

   <example>
    <title>overloading with __call example</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
  <![CDATA[
<?php
class Caller {
  private $x = array(1, 2, 3);

  function __call($m, $a) {
    print "Method $m called:\n";
    var_dump($a);
    return $this->x;
  }
}

$foo = new Caller();
$a = $foo->test(1, "2", 3.4, true);
var_dump($a);
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    <para>
     Will Output:
    </para>
    <screen role="php">
<![CDATA[

Method test called:
array(4) {
  [0]=>
  int(1)
  [1]=>
  string(1) "2"
  [2]=>
  float(3.4)
  [3]=>
  bool(true)
}
array(3) {
  [0]=>
  int(1)
  [1]=>
  int(2)
  [2]=>
  int(3)
}
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>

  </sect2>

 </sect1>
 
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