Re: [SMARTY-DEV] Re: object support (more thoughts)

From: "Monte Ohrt" <monte@ispi.net> ... > So decisions: > > 1) register all objects, and can only access directly: > > {$foo->bar} <-- property > {foo->bar p1="foo"} <-- method > > PROS: * syntax kept to a bare minimum > CONS: * not as flexible can't assign arrays of objects > > > 2) assign all objects, and allow access to all methods excluding private ones: > > {$foo->bar} > {$foo.bar->blah} > {$foo[bar].foo->blah} > {foo.bar[foo]->foo p1="foo" p2="bar"} > > PROS: * can assign objects or arrays of objects, more flexible > CONS: * syntax is more complex > * can't control individual method access > > > I'm really leaning toward option #1. Is there a practical use for > assigning arrays of objects? I like the simplicity and control of #1, but I fear that somewhere down the line somebody will come up with a totally valid business reason for needing arrays of objects and then we'll be out of luck. I think that though #2 is more complex, it is more in line with the existing Smarty model. In the existing model, {$foo} can be either a single value or an array of values. Now we'll just be extending it to be an object which gives us semantic equivalence with the PHP "mixed" type. Right? We can still deny access to methods using the approach you outlined above, ie if the object is registered like so: $smarty->register_object('theme', $theme, array('foo','bar','blah')); then at run time we could make sure that the method being invoked is in the list of legal methods. The main problem I see with this approach is the issue that you raised about nested objects: {$theme->legalMethodThatReturnsAnObject->illegalMethod} I don't see an obvious way to prevent this from happening, except to perhaps prevent double dereferencing. I don't believe that this is valid PHP syntax: $theme->legalMethod()->illegalMethod() so theoretically we could deny that functionality in the template engine and nobody would miss it (or at least they would already be used to not having it :-D). So bottom line, my vote is for #2. -Bharat