Running every constructor on extends

[Jeff Lange]

class Login
{
    function Login()
    {
        // Do stuff here
    }
} 

class System extends Login
{
    function System()
    {
        $this->Login() // <- What I do now
        // Do stuff here
    }
} 

class SomePage extends System
{
    function SomePage()
    {
        $this->System() // <- What I do now
        // Do stuff here
    }
} 

So my basic question is, is there a method I can use to get it to run the Login() constructor and System() constructor automaticall when calling SomePage()? Or do I have to stick with my current method?

[Sork]

class SomePage extends System
{
    function SomePage()
    {
       // Since this works
       System::System();
       // This should work too
       Login::Login();
    }
} 

[Jeff Lange]

Oh, my current method works fine, but I was wondering if there was a more 'automatic' method available in PHP.

[samsm]

Everything I've read on the topic indicates you have to do it manually.

On a side note, using static::method instead of just using $this->method seems like asking for it. If you were to change the inheritance of SomePage to (for example) SystemY, you would still be using System::System() instead of SystemY::System() which may override the former. Hope that made sense (and was correct!).

[Jeff Lange]

it did make sense, and also, I need to be calling it using $this->method, because it sets object variables and such.

[Jeff Lange]

This is all well and good now, but what about when PHP5 comes along, will I have to stick to using ClassName()? Or is there a way to do it with __construct()...

[samsm]

Good question... I don't know! Haven't looked into PHP5 much yet.

I've read that PHP 5 will support both styles of constructors which leaves me confused about what they would do if they had slightly different features and one began mixing the two in extended classes.

Anyway, if you don't get a response here you might try sitepoint member nucleuz, he has a PHP5 site (worth examining).

[Gybbyl]

You can just do parent::method() instead of actually typing out the parent class name... Although I'm not sure of the exact syntax for calling the constructor of the parent class; i'm sure there's a way, let me go find out.

If you are using PHP5, then you could just use parent::__construct().

What you could also do, if you want to do a little hardcoding is:

Define a method called "constructor()" in every class that you plan on using in your hierarchy. Now, put your constructor code in this method and then just call this method from the constructor. That way, you can also call parent::constructor() in that same method, and run all of the constructors all the way up the hierarchy. Not sure if it works, but it sounds good so far in theory. =]

you can also use "get_parent_class()" to return the name of the class, and then instantiate it in the method where you want to call the parent constructor.

[Jeff Lange]

parent::__construct(); works well, many thanks for that

[Gybbyl]

Ah, no problem

What version is it working with? 5? or does it actually work with 4??

[Jeff Lange]

it's working with 5, although I'd assume it would work with PHP4 anyways, if you call your function __construct() and call it, although I need to add a couple extra lines to get it to be PHP4 compatible.