So whats so good about __construct()?

Nor · 11-04-2007, 10:37 PM

PHP Code:


			
<?php

class construction

{

    function __construct()

    {

        echo "Sup";

    }

}

class construction_2

{

    function construction_2()

    {

        echo "<br />Sup 2";

    }

}

$c1 = new construction;

$c2 = new construction_2;

?>

Does the same thing, I don't see any advantages in it. Unless the class name is extremely long.

Andrew · 11-05-2007, 04:08 AM

__construct() is the PHP5 equivalent to what the function 'classname' did in PHP4. So just think of it as an updated naming scheme for it, to describe what it does.

Nor · 11-05-2007, 05:13 AM

possibly, yet the __destruct() is nice, isn't there a way to do that in php 4? I forgot. don't you use the ~classname(){}

Andrew · 11-05-2007, 10:19 PM

As far as I know, there is no equivalent to __destruct() in PHP4. If you need to use it, I'd recommend asking your host to upgrade to PHP5 or see if you can add a line in your .htaccess file to parse .php files as PHP5.

Nor · 11-05-2007, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew

As far as I know, there is no equivalent to __destruct() in PHP4. If you need to use it, I'd recommend asking your host to upgrade to PHP5 or see if you can add a line in your .htaccess file to parse .php files as PHP5.

lmao, we got php 5.2.3, I just asked a basic question.

Andrew · 11-05-2007, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nor

lmao, we got php 5.2.3, I just asked a basic question.

Well, how was I supposed to know that? You just asked how it would be done in PHP4, so it was reasonable to assume that is what you are using.

Nor · 11-06-2007, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew

Well, how was I supposed to know that? You just asked how it would be done in PHP4, so it was reasonable to assume that is what you are using.

No I didn't, I said whats so great about the __construct(), only thing I mentioned about php4 was the __destruct() that they didn't really have..

Wildhoney · 11-05-2007, 10:44 PM

Here is a way to apparently mimic the destructor in PHP4. Albeit not the most attractive solution. PHP5 is certainly the way to go!

PHP Code:


			
register_shutdown_function(array(&$this, '__destruct'));

Wildhoney · 11-20-2007, 12:32 AM

Destruct is called anyway when a script ends and so unsetting variables is quite unnecessary. Though many coders do like:

php Code:

unset($this);

It's not required at all. I've used it a few times to perform further actions when objects are destroyed, but apart from that, I stay clear.

DragonBe · 11-20-2007, 01:03 AM

The reason the class-name-function was replaced by __construct() is to be more a genuine OOP language. For backwards compatibility they left the old-style in PHP 5.

I believe the class-name-function is removed from PHP 6.

More info about it on http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.decon.php

Morishani · 11-20-2007, 07:47 AM

Yes it does the same thing but OOP is about maintaining code easily, so when you change the classname you don't need to change the name of the function that constructs the class.

sketchMedia · 11-26-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

The reason the class-name-function was replaced by __construct() is to be more a genuine OOP language.

What about C++, that has its constructors like PHP4 as does Java, i.e. C++

Code:

classname() {}

.
Personally i think they did it just to confuse people :), or as you say the class name is hideously long.

Just as a note a destructor in C++ is

Code:

 ~classname() {}

. (not sure about Java, something in my mind is saying finalize() but don't trust that as fact coz i ain't a Java programmer :), ill have to ask my m8 about that. )

PHP4 didn't have a native destructor method, unless you bodge something together with register_shutdown_function as wildhoney said.