BlaBla.cn

Type Hinting


Type Hinting

PHP 5 introduces Type Hinting. Functions are now able to force parameters to be objects (by specifying the name of the class in the function prototype) or arrays (since PHP 5.1). However, if NULL is used as the default parameter value, it will be allowed as an argument for any later call.

Example #1 Type Hinting examples

<?php
// An example class
class  MyClass
{
    
/**
     * A test function
     *
     * First parameter must be an object of type OtherClass
     */
    
public function  test ( OtherClass $otherclass ) {
        echo 
$otherclass -> var ;
    }


    
/**
     * Another test function
     *
     * First parameter must be an array
     */
    
public function  test_array (array  $input_array ) {
        
print_r ( $input_array );
    }
}

// Another example class
class  OtherClass  {
    public 
$var  'Hello World' ;
}
?>

Failing to satisfy the type hint results in a catchable fatal error.

<?php
// An instance of each class
$myclass  = new  MyClass ;
$otherclass  = new  OtherClass ;

// Fatal Error: Argument 1 must be an object of class OtherClass
$myclass -> test ( 'hello' );

// Fatal Error: Argument 1 must be an instance of OtherClass
$foo  = new  stdClass ;
$myclass -> test ( $foo );

// Fatal Error: Argument 1 must not be null
$myclass -> test ( null );

// Works: Prints Hello World
$myclass -> test ( $otherclass );

// Fatal Error: Argument 1 must be an array
$myclass -> test_array ( 'a string' );

// Works: Prints the array
$myclass -> test_array (array( 'a' 'b' 'c' ));
?>

Type hinting also works with functions:

<?php
// An example class
class  MyClass  {
    public 
$var  'Hello World' ;
}

/**
 * A test function
 *
 * First parameter must be an object of type MyClass
 */
function  MyFunction  ( MyClass $foo ) {
    echo 
$foo -> var ;
}

// Works
$myclass  = new  MyClass ;
MyFunction ( $myclass );
?>

Type hinting allowing NULL value:

<?php

/* Accepting NULL value */
function  test ( stdClass $obj  NULL ) {

}

test ( NULL );
test (new  stdClass );

?>

Type Hints can only be of the object and array (since PHP 5.1) type. Traditional type hinting with int and string isn't supported.


 
BlaBla.cn

© 2005-2008 BlaBla.cn 版权所有