how to call global functions classes from namespace PHP

Question

Is there any way how to avoid to using so often backslash ?

Now if i'm using namespace and calling something global inside it i have to use backslash:

namespace foo;
$a = new \my\name(); // instantiates "my\name" class
echo \strlen('hi'); // calls function "strlen"
$a = \INI_ALL; // $a is set to the value of constant "INI_ALL"

in that case code inside namespace become really ugly, is there any way how to avoid that situation ???

The example was taken from that url: http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.namespaces.faq.php

But my problem in that, if I need call some built in class from namespace i have to use backslash in front of the name, can I somehow avoid it ?

Answer 1

constants and functions from the global namespace do not have to be prepended with a backslash. PHP will fallback to the global namespace for those on it's own. There is a whole chapter in the PHP manual explaining this:

• Using namespaces: fallback to global function/constant

Inside a namespace, when PHP encounters a unqualified Name in a class name, function or constant context, it resolves these with different priorities. Class names always resolve to the current namespace name. […] For functions and constants, PHP will fall back to global functions or constants if a namespaced function or constant does not exist.