Re: [PEPr] +1 for Authentication::OpenID

Josh Hoyt wrote:

One more question: On 9 Feb 2006 09:22:16 -0000, Markus Tacker <m@tacker.org> wrote:

* Implementing functions as methods

Should we just create an arbitrary class (like Auth_OpenID) and dump all of the functions in it? The functions that we have that are not methods are not related to each other and do not naturally go in a particular class.

Yes. It will give others the ability to extend and modify your class to create new functionality. I can't extend a function.

I don't know if this is even debatable, but I always feel uneasy about a class that will never be instantiated. It seems like asking for trouble. (What would it mean if someone instantiated it? I know the answer is "don't do that", but making it a function instead of a static method makes it so you *can't* do that.)

If the class should never be instantiated then you can add something like this: class Auth_OpenID {

    function Auth_OpenID
    {
        PEAR::raiseError('Auth_OpenID should not be instantiated directly.', AUTH_OPENID_SOMEERRORCODE, PEAR_ERROR_DIE);
    }
    // ...

} -- Scott Mattocks http://www.crisscott.com