how to check if a concatenated method doesnt exist php

Question

I am writing a function that calls another class and returns it so that I can execute my methods as $this->myUser()->getUsername()... now my question is:

Is there a way for me to intercept the ->getUsername() from inside myUser() or intercept the fail to find?...

This is because I want to use another class that is myUserExtended() and I was wondering if I could route them both together inside myUser(). so that if ->getCity() is not in myUser() it automaticaly goes on and uses another variable that containts myUserExtended().

Probably is not possible, but it is worth asking.

private function myUser( $setMyUser = false ) {

        if( $setMyUser ) {
            $this->_myUser = $setMyUser;
        }

        if( empty( $this->$_myUser ) ) {
            $this->_myUser = UserQuery::create()->findPK( $this->variables('userID') );
        }

        return $this->_myUser;
    }

with the [magic method](http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.overloading.php#object.call) `__call` ? — Brewal, Jun 21 '13 at 14:07

Rijndael · Answer 1 · 2013-06-21T14:58:31.377

1

Something like this may do the trick:

public function __call($name, $args)
{
    if (function_exists($this->_myUser->$name())) {
        return $this->_myUser->$name();
    }
    return $this->_myUserExtended->$name();
}

You'll obviously have to adjust it if you are using any arguments.

edited Jun 21 '13 at 14:58

answered Jun 21 '13 at 14:15

Rijndael

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What do you do with the arguments ? – Brewal Jun 21 '13 at 14:16
see http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.overloading.php#object.call - It has a few examples you can work with – Rijndael Jun 21 '13 at 14:17
I know, but I mean, if you call `$myObject->theMethod('arg1',21)`, if the method exists, will it call it first, or will it go to the `__call` ? – Brewal Jun 21 '13 at 14:20
I think you are wrong : "__call() is triggered when invoking inaccessible methods in an object context.". That means you never get into your `if` condition. You should just check if the method does not exists. – Brewal Jun 21 '13 at 14:23
see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1071894/triggering-call-in-php-even-when-method-exists – Rijndael Jun 21 '13 at 14:24
@Rijndael no it will not go to `__call` - if a method exists in a class, then that method will be used. If a method **doesn't** exist in that class, then `__call` will be used – Ziarno Jun 21 '13 at 14:27
@Ziarno yes but what if it is private or protected ? What I meant at the begining, is that you should do this : `return call_user_func_array(array($this, $name), $args);` to keep arguments – Brewal Jun 21 '13 at 14:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 21 '13 at 14:15

$this->myUser()->getUsername() is equivalent to $user = $this->myUser(); $user->getUsername(). If you can add methods to whatever class the $user variable contains, then you can use the __call() magic method and check if ->getCity() exists. Or you could just add a method called getCity() that calls through to myUserExtended().

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 21 '13 at 14:36

Maybe something like this will help:

class MyUserClass {
  private $_myUser;
  public function myUser( $setMyUser = false ) {

        if( $setMyUser ) {
            $this->_myUser = $setMyUser;
        }

        if( empty( $this->$_myUser ) ) {
            $this->_myUser = UserQuery::create()->findPK( $this->variables('userID') );
        }

        return $this; //if you want to use method chaining, you have to return $this
    }
  public function __call($name, $arguments) {
    $ext = new myUserExtended();
    $ext->$name($arguments);
    return $ext;
  }
}

$myUser = new MyUserClass();

$myUser->myUser()->getCity("New York"); //this will call $ext->getCity(array("New York"))

how to check if a concatenated method doesnt exist php

3 Answers3