note 91104 added to language.oop5.magic

Try this one on. <?php $ret = new Test(true); var_dump((bool)(string)$ret); var_dump($ret); $ret=null; $ret = new Test(); var_dump((bool)(string)$ret); var_dump($ret); class Test { protected $state=null; function __construct($state=null) { $this->state = $state; } function __toString() { if ($this->state) { return "1"; } else { return "0"; } } } ?> You could for instance do.. if(!(bool)(string)$ret) { do_something!; } Alternatively, just make state public, and check it. if(!$ret->state) {}. There is no automatic way I have found aside from some internal state check to verify a class. It will always return an object. The only way around that is to force it out to string either where I did, or $ret = (string) new Test(); then test the bool of your output.. if (!$ret) { echo "noooo!"; } But now you have no calling methods, so I hope you passed some data in to get a usable string out. Of course, if your class isn't named test, you can add a method.. public function test() { return $this->state; } Logically that will work regardless of the _toString(), but I had hoped to post this to help others see that there are a multitude of ways to check the validity of a class once it is loaded. In __construct you can add any number of checks and set your state appropriately. ---- Server IP: 208.69.120.35 Probable Submitter: 70.88.182.158 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.magic.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/91104 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/91104 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/91104 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php