PHP class autoloading when creating class dynamically?

Question

This simple example won't work, gives me:

Fatal error: spl_autoload() [function.spl-autoload]: Class GmailServer could not be loaded.

define('USERNAME', 'username');
define('PASSWORD', 'password');
$SERVER = 'GmailServer';

spl_autoload_extensions(".php");
spl_autoload_register();

use Service\Mail\GmailServer;

$server = new $SERVER(USERNAME, PASSWORD);

While, of course, this is working:

$server = new GmailServer(USERNAME, PASSWORD);

Am i'm missing something?

EDIT: Working with reflection (but you HAVE to specify the full namespace):

$reflector = new \ReflectionClass("Service\\Mail\\$SERVER");
$server = $reflector->newInstance(USERNAME, PASSWORD);

Are you sure GmailServer.php exists in the current folder? — user142162
– user142162, Commented Nov 24, 2011 at 22:01
It may be a namespace bug.... have you tried with the qualified class name, or moving GmailServer into a Service/Mail folder? Alternatively, call_user_func might help - with __construct as the function name — Phil Lello
– Phil Lello, Commented Nov 24, 2011 at 22:13
@PhilLello GmailServer is already in Service/Mail folder, thanks for helping. — gremo
– gremo, Commented Nov 24, 2011 at 22:28
I second Phil Lello, I think it's namespace related. When he said "fully qualified name", he meant $SERVER = 'Service\Mail\GmailServer'; — Savageman
– Savageman, Commented Nov 24, 2011 at 22:44

CodeCaster · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-24 22:32:21Z

1

Is it possible to run this?

class Foo { }
$c = "Foo";
$f = new $c();

If it does, it might be namespace related. If not, and also, I'd rather do that than using this quirk, use a factory pattern:

static class ServerFactory 
{
    public static function GetServer($server, $username, $password)
    {
         switch ($server)
        {
            case "GmailServer": return new GmailServer($username, $password);   
        }      
    } 
}

answered Nov 24, 2011 at 22:32

CodeCaster

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2 Comments

gremo Over a year ago

Of course your first example would work because the lack of namespace. I will use reflection class, but the question is still why it's not working when namespace is defined. Is this a bug?

Phil Lello Over a year ago

+1 because I like using factories whenever possible - it makes it so much easier to change implementations in one place.

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