[SOLVED] Dynamic method args?

[Stooney]

Would it be possible to do something like this?  I hope it's self explanatory enough. 

 

<?php
class Foo{
    public function bar($var1, $var2){
        return $var1 + $var2;
    }
}

$class='Foo';
$action='bar';
$args=array('var1'=>'5', 'var2'=>'3');

$total=$class->$action($args);

[corbin]

public function bar($arr) {

    //do something with array of functions

}

[Stooney]

I was in a hurry to finish that post earlier, here's an actual example I'm looking at:

 

In my registry class I have a method called useObject.  Basically that just allows me to use objects stored in the registry (which only have private access) without having to pull it out of the registry. 

$registry->useObject('template', 'load', '404');

 

In that bit, template is an object stored in the registry.  'load' is a method, and '404' is what I'm passing as an argument.  That all works fine.

 

But what if the load method needed 3 args?  My registry's useObject method needs to be able to call different methods that take various amounts of args, so I can't just send an array of args unless each method was written to accept them. 

 

I basically need to somehow do this type of 'translation':

$registry->useObject('template', 'load', 'var1', 'var2', 'var3');

OR

$registry->useObject('template', 'load', array('var1', 'var2', 'var3'));

Which should be equivalent to

$template->load('var1', 'var2', 'var3');

 

Does that make any more sense?  If it isn't possible, what would you suggest as far as a different approach to my useObject method?

 

Just popped in my head:  Is it 'better' if all functions/methods just took an array of args?  I guess that could technically work...like instead of:

function($var1, $var2){
    return $var1+$var2;
}

something like

function($args){
    return $args['var1']+$args['var2'];
}

[trq]

Still not sure I understand your question but this may help.

 

A function can except an ininant amount of arguments if you don't bother declaring them in your definition. eg;

 

<?php

    function foo() {
        foreach (func_get_args() as $arg) {
            echo $arg . "\n";
        }
    }

    foo(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,'bob',4,5,6,'blah','blah','boo!');

[Daniel0]

I'm guessing he wants to do like you can do in Python. If that's the case then no, it's not possible.

[DarkWater]

Check out call_user_func_array().  Quick example:

 

<?php
function do_call($object, $method, $args) {
    call_user_func_array(array($object, $method), $args);
}

class Foo {
    public function test($var, $var2) {
        echo $var . $var2;
    }
}

$foo = new Foo;
do_call($foo, 'test', array('Hello,', ' World'));

 

Except you'd use an already existing object.

[Daniel0]

Reinventing deprecated functions, eh?

 

http://dk.php.net/manual/en/function.call-user-method-array.php

[DarkWater]

Essentially.  But I'm probably going to have to go out on a limb and say that the function sucked (implementation-wise) back in PHP4 because of the object model.  And since call_user_func_array() supports method calls, it's probably the new, 'correct' replacement.

[Stooney]

Thank you guys very much.  I saw you mentioned call_user_func_array() back in my other post but until now didn't fully understand it. 

[DarkWater]

Yup.