get_object_vars using a reference?

[davidmyers]

In the past for my getter and setter functions I've always just used a switch statement with a case for each class variable. However, I decided to re-write them to be more dynamic because those switch statements can get really really long and also I would have to change them anytime I made a change to the class variables, ie adding or removing any. So this is what I came up with for the getter function:

 

function GetValue($Variable)
{
$ObjVars = get_object_vars($this); // Grab associative array of Class Variables
$Variable = strtolower($Variable); // Convert argument of variable name to lowercase
if(array_key_exists($Variable, $ObjVars)) // Check to see if argument is valid class variable
{
	return $ObjVars[$Variable]; // Return value of requested variable
}
else
{
	$Error = new Error("You must supply a valid variable to User->GetValue()", $_SESSION['CurrentUser']->GetValue(ID), 'User', $_SESSION['CurrentPage'], 'PHP', 'Medium');
	$Error->Log();
	$Error->Display();
	return "error";
}
}

 

Obviously though this solution doesn't exactly work for a setter function since changing the value of a variable in $ObjVars won't have any effect on the actual class/object variable. The idea I had was if I could pass $this as a reference to get_object_vars then it would give me references to the variables and by changing the values in $ObjVars I would in change the actual class/object variables. So I tried:

 

$ObjVars = get_object_vars(&$this);

 

But got this error: "Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated"

Upon researching this I realized it was because you don't pass references in this way in PHP. As far as I can tell, unless a function is written to return it's value as a reference, there really isn't a way to make it do so. So short of writing my own function to emulate get_object_vars and have it return references, is there another way to solve this?

 

I feel like if this can't be done how I'm currently trying, that means there's a better way to do it. I just haven't figured it out yet. So any and all help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[davidmyers]

As a note, I've also attempted calling the function as a reference:

$ObjVars = &get_object_vars($this);

 

On the off chance that get_object_vars would return a reference, this was what I found to be the way to try it.

[darkfreaks]

using &$this inside a function is deprecated as of PHP4, you no longer need to do this as objects are already passed as objects as of PHP 5.2.

 

 

works:

 

$ObjVars = &get_object_vars($this);

 

 

[davidmyers]

If you notice, I had found that out and said as much towards the end of my first post. Also, I'm not attempting to retrieve an object, I'm trying to get references to the variables of an object.

[darkfreaks]

have you tried something like

 

 

class foo {

public $value = "whatever";
public function &getfoo() {
return $this->value;
}
}
$obj= new foo();
$Newvalue= &$obj->getfoo();

 

 

[davidmyers]

works:

$ObjVars = &get_object_vars($this);

That syntax is correct, but that doesn't work because get_object_vars is not written to return references.

 

Your solution won't really work for me because it isn't dynamic in the way that I'm wanting.

 

I'm trying to reference class/object variables without explicitly naming them anywhere except in the argument to the function if that makes sense.

 

Also, the GetValue() function I posted works perfectly, it's the SetValue() version of the same code I'm trying to get working.

[darkfreaks]

Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated - Solution

Since this is fortunately localised to a single function, it turned out to be easy to remove the function and replace it with code that modified the data object directly.

[davidmyers]

Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated - Solution

Since this is fortunately localised to a single function, it turned out to be easy to remove the function and replace it with code that modified the data object directly.

 

I appreciate you trying to help, but I have no idea what you're talking about and that doesn't answer anything.

[darkfreaks]

ERROR:

Warning: Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated - argument passed by value;

Solution 1:

 

Open the ini.inc.php file and add the following line after the open php tag

ini_set("allow_call_time_pass_reference",true);

Solution 2:

 

Create an .htaccess file in the root folder in your server with the content below:

 

php_flag allow_call_time_pass_reference on

 

If you already have an .htaccess in the root file then just added this to the top.

[davidmyers]

Ok, so I tried the .htaccess option first since it's the easiest but it didn't do anything.

 

I'd try the first solution but I don't know where that file is.

 

Ideally I'd like a solution that doesn't involve changing settings in PHP that have been deprecated for a reason. I realize that the way I initially tried to get this to work was the wrong way, but I can't think of any other way and that's really where I'd like help.

[davidmyers]

Ok, so I found a solution to my problem.

 

Here is the code that I've ended up with:

function SetValue() // Used to set values in current object
{
if(func_num_args() != 0) // Check for arguments
{
	$Arguments = func_get_args(); // Get arguments
	$Variable = $Arguments[0]; // Set variable
	if(is_array($Variable)) // Check if first argument is an array of multiple variables to be set
	{
		$ObjVars = get_object_vars($this); // Grab associative array of Class variables
		foreach($Variable as $key => $value) // Loop through argument array
		{
			if(array_key_exists($key, $ObjVars)) // Check if argument array key is valid class variable
			{
				$this->$key = $value; // Set object variable with new value
			}
			else
			{
				// Send error
				return "error";
			}
		}
	}
	else // Argument isn't an array so we're only setting one variable
	{
		$Value = $Arguments[1]; // Set variable
		$ObjVars = get_object_vars($this); // Grab associative array of Class variables
		$Variable = strtolower($Variable); // Convert argument of variable name to lowercase
		if(array_key_exists($Variable, $ObjVars)) // Check to see if argument is valid class variable
		{
			$ObjVars[$Variable] = $Value; // Update array with new variable value
			foreach($ObjVars as $key => $value) // Loop through array of variables
			{
				$this->$key = $value; // Set object variable with new value
			}	
		}
		else // Not a valid class variable
		{
			// Send error
			return "error";
		}
	}
}
else
{
	// Send error
	return "error";
}
}

 

I know this topic was up for less than 24 hours, but it seems like every time I post a question I get almost no responses and no one ever gives me a solution. Either I'm not doing something right when I ask for help, or I guess there isn't much help to be had for more advanced issues? It's kind of frustrating because instead of getting the help I'm seeking I end up just getting answers that are irrelevant and solving the problem myself eventually.

 

Sorry for the rant. In any event, here is the code for a completely dynamic Class Setter function that will either accept a variable and value or an associative array of variables and values.

 

EDIT: I forgot two $'s in the code above.