can you initialize a static array of objects in a class in PHP? Like you can do
class myclass {
public static $blah = array("test1", "test2", "test3");
}
but when I do
class myclass {
public static $blah2 = array(
&new myotherclass(),
&new myotherclass(),
&new myotherclass()
);
}
where myotherclass is defined right above myclass. That throws an error however; is there a way to achieve it?
Nope. From http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.static.php:
Like any other PHP static variable, static properties may only be initialized using a literal or constant; expressions are not allowed. So while you may initialize a static property to an integer or array (for instance), you may not initialize it to another variable, to a function return value, or to an object.
I would initialize the property to null, make it private with an accessor method, and have the accessor do the "real" initialization the first time it's called. Here's an example:
class myclass {
private static $blah2 = null;
public static function blah2() {
if (self::$blah2 == null) {
self::$blah2 = array( new myotherclass(),
new myotherclass(),
new myotherclass());
}
return self::$blah2;
}
}
print_r(myclass::blah2());
While you cannot initialize it to have these values, you can call a static method to push them into its own internal collection, as I've done below. This may be as close as you'll get.
class foo {
public $bar = "fizzbuzz";
}
class myClass {
static public $array = array();
static public function init() {
while ( count( self::$array ) < 3 )
array_push( self::$array, new foo() );
}
}
myClass::init();
print_r( myClass::$array );
Demo: http://codepad.org/InTPdUCT
Which results in the following output:
Array
(
[0] => foo Object
(
[bar] => fizzbuzz
)
[1] => foo Object
(
[bar] => fizzbuzz
)
[2] => foo Object
(
[bar] => fizzbuzz
)
)
I do it like this. It’s not “static” but the result is the same on construct.
class Foo {
var $bar= [];
function __construct(){
$this->bar[] = (object)array(
“name” => “Harry”,
“hair” => “Blonde”
);
$this->bar[] = (object)array(
“name” => “Jane”,
“hair” => “Black”
);
}
$foo = new foo;
print_r($foo->bar);
Array (
[0] => stdClass Object
(
[name] => Harry
[hair] => blonde
)
[1] => stdClass Object
(
[name] => Jane
[hair] => black
)
)
$blah2within the constructor. You can't set runtime-calculated values in a property definition.newby reference there has been depreciated for several years now. Maybe it's slipped under PHP's radar and that's why it still remains to this day without causing a fatal error. But, just so you know.