Dynamically create PHP class functions

Question

I'd like to iterate over an array and dynamically create functions based on each item. My pseudocode:

$array = array('one', 'two', 'three');  foreach ($array as $item) {     public function $item() {         return 'Test'.$item;     } } 

How should I go about doing this?

Answer 1

Instead of "creating" functions, you can use the magic method __call(), so that when you call a "non-existent" function, you can handle it and do the right action.

Something like this:

class MyClass{     private $array = array('one', 'two', 'three');      function __call($func, $params){         if(in_array($func, $this->array)){             return 'Test'.$func;         }     } } 

Then you can call:

$a = new MyClass; $a->one(); // Testone $a->four(); // null 

DEMO: http://ideone.com/73mSh

EDIT: If you are using PHP 5.3+, you actually can do what you are trying to do in your question!

class MyClass{     private $array = array('one', 'two', 'three');      function __construct(){         foreach ($this->array as $item) {             $this->$item = function() use($item){                 return 'Test'.$item;             };         }     } } 

This does work, except that you can't call $a->one() directly, you need to save it as a variable.

$a = new MyClass; $x = $a->one; $x() // Testone 

DEMO: http://codepad.viper-7.com/ayGsTu

Answer 2

class MethodTest {     private $_methods = array();      public function __call($name, $arguments)     {         if (array_key_exists($name, $this->_methods)) {             $this->_methods[$name]($arguments);         }         else         {             $this->_methods[$name] = $arguments[0];         }     } }  $obj = new MethodTest;  $array = array('one', 'two', 'three');  foreach ($array as $item)  {     // Dynamic creation     $obj->$item((function ($a){ echo "Test: ".$a[0]."\n"; }));     // Calling     $obj->$item($item); } 

The above example will output:

Test: one Test: two Test: three