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@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #
However, if you truly want to get object-oriented about it, each character could be an object:
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #Just got back from some errands, and noticed a bug in the code I posted earlier. The FictionalCharacterCollection::getByUid() method should be using $this->characters instead of $data. Here's a fixed version, with some sample usage at the end (which I actually tested ? ):
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #PS: Here is the class definition stuff with full comments to help clarify(?).
Can you tell I'm bored today? ?@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #As far as the 3 args versus 1 in the FictionalCharacter class's constructor, it was my choice to keep the interface as generic as possible and not assuming that the data source would be an array. You could make it more flexible by using [url=http://www.php.net/manual/en/functions.arguments.php#functions.variable-arg-list]variable length argument list[/url] , and if one arg is received, then treat it as an array, while if 3 are received, then treat them as the 3 separate scalar attributes (with appropriate validation for each case).
Ultimately, your data might come from a config file in the parse_ini_file() format, or an XML file, or a relational DBMS; so you might need to keep the base classes fairly simple and not locked in to one approach, and then perhaps use something like the Decorator Pattern to wrap them in an appropriate class to deal with a specific data source. (See how easy it is to turn a "simple" exercise into a "complex" one? ? )@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #Here's a variation using variable arguments. While it adds flexibility, it blurs the constructor's interface, making it a bit more problematic in terms of clarity of use and future maintenance. (My choice would probably to leave it the way I originally had it, requiring the client code to deconstruct any array elements into scalar values when calling this constructor, keeping things clean and allowing the detection of programmer errors at the parser level.)
@NogDogOct 13.2010 — #
Or even a not-quite-traditional__get()/__set() . ?
A Project to Understand Classes and Methods
So I set up a project for myself to understand Classes and Method, that, if
people are willing to help, I think would really help me understand exactly
what is going on under the hood. I use functions regularly, as with PHP in
general. This though is something new to me and I believe will help me
expand my knowledge immensely! Here is what I am doing and what I am
starting from.
[code]
1. Create a collection of 10 fictional full names (last, and first) and give them ids (this could be an index)
[code=php]
/* from fictional_characters.php */
$fChars = array(
array(
‘uid’ => 0,
‘from’ => ‘Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons’,
‘name’ => ‘Jeff Albertson’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 1,
‘from’ => ‘Barbies real name’,
‘name’ => ‘Barbara Roberts’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 2,
‘from’ => ‘Sesame Street Mammoth’,
‘name’ => ‘Aloysius Snuffleupagus’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 3,
‘from’ => ‘Peanuts Peppermint Patty’,
‘name’ => ‘Patricia Reichardt’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 5,
‘from’ => ‘The Wizard of Oz’,
‘name’ => ‘Oscar Diggs’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 6,
‘from’ => ‘Mr. Clean’,
‘name’ => ‘Veritably Clean’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 7,
‘from’ => ‘The Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George’,
‘name’ => ‘Ted Shackleford’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 8,
‘from’ => ‘Monopoly mascot Rich Uncle Pennybags’,
‘name’ => ‘Milburn Pennybags’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 9,
‘from’ => ‘The Skipper from Gilligans Island’,
‘name’ => ‘Jonas Grumby’,
),
array(
‘uid’ => 10,
‘from’ => ‘Shaggy from Scooby Doo’,
‘name’ => ‘Norville Rogers’,
),
);
This first part is easy and something I have done before, so on
to the next one where I start getting confused.
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0
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #[code=php]
class Characters
{
private $characters = array();
public function __construct($characters)
{
$this->characters = $characters;
}
}
[/code]However, if you truly want to get object-oriented about it, each character could be an object:
[code=php]
<?php
class FictionalCharacter
{
public $uid;
public $name;
public $from;
public function __construct($uid, $name, $from)
{
$this->uid = $uid;
$this->name = $name;
$this->from = $from;
}
}
class FictionalCharacterCollection
{
private $characters = array();
public function __construct($data = array())
{
foreach($data as $character) {
if(isset($character['uid']) && isset($character['name']) &&
isset($character['from'])) {
$this->add(new FictionalCharacter($character['uid'],
$character['name'],
$character['from']));
}
else {
throw new Exception("Invalid array for Fictional Character");
}
}
}
public function add(FictionalCharacter $character)
{
$this->characters[$character->uid] = $character;
}
public function getAll()
{
return $this->character;
}
public function getByUid($uid)
{
return (isset($data[$uid])) ? $data[$uid] : false;
}
}
[/code]0
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #Just got back from some errands, and noticed a bug in the code I posted earlier. The FictionalCharacterCollection::getByUid() method should be using $this->characters instead of $data. Here's a fixed version, with some sample usage at the end (which I actually tested ? ):[code=php]
<?php
class FictionalCharacter
{
public $uid;
public $name;
public $from;
public function __construct($uid, $name, $from)
{
$this->uid = $uid;
$this->name = $name;
$this->from = $from;
}
}
class FictionalCharacterCollection
{
private $characters = array();
public function __construct($data = array())
{
foreach($data as $character) {
if (isset($character['uid']) && isset($character['name']) && isset($character['from'])) {
$this->add(new FictionalCharacter($character['uid'], $character['name'], $character['from']));
} else {
throw new Exception("Invalid array for Fictional Character");
}
}
}
public function add(FictionalCharacter $character)
{
$this->characters[$character->uid] = $character;
}
public function getAll()
{
return $this->character;
}
public function getByUid($uid)
{
return (isset($this->characters[$uid])) ? $this->characters[$uid] : false;
}
}
// TEST
$fc = array(
array(
'uid' => 0,
'from' => 'Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons',
'name' => 'Jeff Albertson',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 1,
'from' => 'Barbies real name',
'name' => 'Barbara Roberts',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 2,
'from' => 'Sesame Street Mammoth',
'name' => 'Aloysius Snuffleupagus',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 3,
'from' => 'Peanuts Peppermint Patty',
'name' => 'Patricia Reichardt',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 5,
'from' => 'The Wizard of Oz',
'name' => 'Oscar Diggs',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 6,
'from' => 'Mr. Clean',
'name' => 'Veritably Clean',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 7,
'from' => 'The Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George',
'name' => 'Ted Shackleford',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 8,
'from' => 'Monopoly mascot Rich Uncle Pennybags',
'name' => 'Milburn Pennybags',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 9,
'from' => 'The Skipper from Gilligans Island',
'name' => 'Jonas Grumby',
) ,
array(
'uid' => 10,
'from' => 'Shaggy from Scooby Doo',
'name' => 'Norville Rogers',
)
);
// instantiate a collection using that array:
$test = new FictionalCharacterCollection($fc);
// show what we now have:
echo "<pre>".print_r($test,1)."</pre>";
// lets grab one character and echo his/her name:
echo $test->getByUid(5)->name; // can chain them since getByUid() returns an object
[/code]0
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #PS: Here is the class definition stuff with full comments to help clarify(?).[code=php]
<?php
/**
* Defines a fictional character
*/
class FictionalCharacter
{
/**
* @var integer Character ID
*/
public $uid;
/**
* @var string Name of character
*/
public $name;
/**
* @var string Source of character
*/
public $from;
/**
* Constructor
* @return void
* @param int $uid
* @param string $name
* @param string $from
*/
public function __construct($uid, $name, $from)
{
$this->uid = $uid;
$this->name = $name;
$this->from = $from;
}
}
/**
* A collection of fictional character objects
*/
class FictionalCharacterCollection
{
/**
* @var array FictionalCharacter objects
*/
private $characters = array();
/**
* Constructor
* @return void
* @param array $data [optional] each element is array with keys 'uid',
* 'name', and 'from'
*/
public function __construct($data = array())
{
foreach($data as $character) {
if (isset($character['uid']) && isset($character['name']) && isset($character['from'])) {
$this->add(new FictionalCharacter($character['uid'], $character['name'], $character['from']));
} else {
throw new Exception("Invalid array for Fictional Character");
}
}
}
/**
* Add one character to the collection
* @return void
* @param object $character FictionalCharacter
*/
public function add(FictionalCharacter $character)
{
$this->characters[$character->uid] = $character;
}
/**
* Get the entire collection as an array of objects
* @return array
*/
public function getAll()
{
return $this->character;
}
/**
* Get one character by its ID
* @return object FictionalCharacter
* @param int $uid
*/
public function getByUid($uid)
{
return (isset($this->characters[$uid])) ? $this->characters[$uid] : false;
}
}
[/code]Can you tell I'm bored today? ?
0
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #As far as the 3 args versus 1 in the FictionalCharacter class's constructor, it was my choice to keep the interface as generic as possible and not assuming that the data source would be an array. You could make it more flexible by using Ultimately, your data might come from a config file in the parse_ini_file() format, or an XML file, or a relational DBMS; so you might need to keep the base classes fairly simple and not locked in to one approach, and then perhaps use something like the Decorator Pattern to wrap them in an appropriate class to deal with a specific data source. (See how easy it is to turn a "simple" exercise into a "complex" one? ? )
0
@NogDogOct 12.2010 — #Here's a variation using variable arguments. While it adds flexibility, it blurs the constructor's interface, making it a bit more problematic in terms of clarity of use and future maintenance. (My choice would probably to leave it the way I originally had it, requiring the client code to deconstruct any array elements into scalar values when calling this constructor, keeping things clean and allowing the detection of programmer errors at the parser level.)[code=php]
/**
* Defines a fictional character
*/
class FictionalCharacter
{
/**
* @var integer Character ID
*/
public $uid;
/**
* @var string Name of character
*/
public $name;
/**
* @var string Source of character
*/
public $from;
/**
* Constructor
* @return void
* @param mixed Either $uid, $name, $from OR array
*/
public function __construct()
{
switch(func_num_args()) {
case 3:
$this->uid = func_get_arg(0);
$this->name = func_get_arg(1);
$this->from = func_get_arg(2);
break;
case 1:
list($uid, $name, $from) = func_get_arg(0);
$this->uid = $uid;
$this->name = $name;
$this->from = $from;
default:
throw new Exception("Incorrect number of arguments");
}
}
}
[/code]0
@NogDogOct 13.2010 — #Or a traditional get/set for each so the sequence isn't important (nor is the constructor, for that matter).[/QUOTE]
Or even a not-quite-traditional