Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=38508&edit=1
ID: 38508
Comment by: erck0006 at gmail dot com
Reported by: doublecompile at gmail dot com
Summary: Addition of Magic __toArray() function
Status: Closed
Type: Feature/Change Request
Package: Feature/Change Request
PHP Version: *
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
// MY APPLICATION'S INTERIM SOLUTION (**UPDATE**)
$customers = new Customers();
$customers = $customers->__toArray(); // THIS LINE IS THE **UPDATED** LINE NEEDED IN ORDER TO
AVOID TRIGGERING THE FOLLOWING ERROR ON THE FOLLOWING LINE: Only variables should be passed by
reference
$lastCustomer = array_pop($customers); // SUCCESS
echo $lastCustomer->getName(); // prints the last customer's name since the previous line
did not fail since I explicitly called a custom method named __toArray() first
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-03-14 18:37:23] erck0006 at gmail dot com
<?php
// AS-IS
$customers = new Customers();
$lastCustomer = array_pop($customers); // FAIL: array_pop() expects parameter 1 to be array, object
given
echo $lastCustomer->getName(); // execution never reaches this line
// MY APPLICATION'S INTERIM SOLUTION
$customers = new Customers();
$lastCustomer = array_pop($customers->__toArray()); // SUCCESS
echo $lastCustomer->getName(); // prints the last customer's name since the previous line
did not fail since I explicitly called a custom method named __toArray() first
// TO-BE
$customers = new Customers();
$lastCustomer = array_pop($customers); // SUCCESS
echo $lastCustomer->getName(); // prints the last customer's name since array_pop() calls
__toArray() internally before failing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2012-02-27 21:27:32] john at john dot com
this magic function would be great to have
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2011-05-23 23:32:13] spark at limao dot com dot br
Because of the magic __toString I was able to write a String class with the same methods as the Java
String class.
I was trying to write an Array class to map the one in Adobe AS3, but then I came across the lack of
__toArray.
I don't want a __toArray, or even a toString
I want classes with reasonable methods and not lots of functions with no naming rules nor parameter
order standard.
I know it may sound rude but that's how I feel when I see a language getting so far and still
not following any coding convetion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2006-08-20 11:12:22] helly@php.net
Why not simply have a method asArray() maybe even as par of an interface:
interface ArrayConversion
{
function asArray();
}
See, we have __toString as it is supported in language constructs like echo, print and other
internal functions. But we decided against an autoconversion for arrays already. So itwill never be
supported in any language construct. That said there is no needed for this and nothing you would win
against the above interface. In fact you would make it php more complex because you'd add just
one more magic feature.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2006-08-19 00:40:17] doublecompile at gmail dot com
Description:
------------
Doing this:
$newarray = (array)$object;
will take the properties of an object and assign them as the values of keys in an array.
As of PHP 5.2, doing this:
$stringified = (string)$object;
will call the magic __toString() function for a user-specified formatting of the object as a string.
It would be a great addition to call a magic __toArray() function if an object is cast as an array,
instead of converting its public members to array elements. (For instance, the class might not have
public members). Classes without the function could use the default method of mapping property
names to array keys.
Just my two cents.
Reproduce code:
---------------
<?php
class magicExample
{
public $aoeu = "htns";
function __toArray()
{
return array('foo'=>'bar');
}
}
$test = new magicExample();
$array = (array)$test;
print_r($array); // should show foo=>bar, not aoeu=>htns
?>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=38508&edit=1