PHP Object return value

Question

Currently I'm programming a database class which makes a little bit use of PHP's PDO class, but I'd like to add some simple features for making programming a certain application a bit easier.

Now In the following piece of pseudo code you can see where I'm going. The only problem in this example is that the $result variable is an object, which cannot be used for comparisation of some stuff I'm doing further on in the script:

<?php

class Database
{
    public function FetchRow ( $query )
    {
        // .. do some stuff, and make a $result variable
        return DatabaseStatement ( $result );
    }
}

class DatabaseStatement
{
    private $result;

    public function __construct ( $query )
    {
        // .. save result in property etc.
    }

    public function __get ( $column )
    {
        // .. check result item

        return $this -> result [ $column ];
    }
}

$db     = new Database;
$result = $db -> Query ( 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = 1;' );

if ( $result != null ) // Here $result should be an array OR null in case no rows are returned
{
    echo $result -> username; // Here $result should call the __get method
    echo '<pre>' , print_r ( $result ) , '</pre>'; // Here $result should be the array, cause it wasn't null just yet
}

As you can see the $result variable should not be an object when I'm doing a comparisation, I know it can be made to a string using __toString. But I'd like it to be some other type, mostly an array or null.

How do I get something like that working if it's possible (should be possible I think with too much hassle)?

So can somebody point me in the right direction, or possibly give a piece of code that should work or I can change to fit in my current class?

grossvogel · Accepted Answer · 2009-06-13 18:07:55Z

2

It seems to me that you just need to add some methods that do what you want. Instead of forcing the $result object to be an array or null to check whether it's empty, why don't you just create and call a method isEmpty () that tells you what you want to know?

And if you need an array, create a method toArray () that returns what you want. OR, even better, make your object implement Iterator and/or ArrayAccess from the Standard PHP Library.

answered Jun 13, 2009 at 18:07

grossvogel

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2 Comments

Stefan Over a year ago

Well.. that seems to be 'the' solution at the moment, the reason I wanted to make it work like in my example code is that it looks a bit neater in my opinion, too bad something like that ain't possible

Stefan Over a year ago

Used you're idea of the toArray function, and 0scar's method of returning null elsewise

Matt Fletcher · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-13 11:26:02Z

1

I think you'll have to do this in the same place you create the DatabaseStatement. So for instance:

public function FetchRow($query)
{
    // ... do some stuff, and make a $result variable.
    $ds = DatabaseStatement($result);
    if ($ds) {
        return $ds;
    }
    else {
        return null;
    }
}

edited Aug 13, 2013 at 11:26

Matt Fletcher

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answered Jun 13, 2009 at 17:27

0scar

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2 Comments

Stefan Over a year ago

Yeah, I tried that one before, the problem still is that when you're returning $ds (in your code), it still can't use __get() AND be an array when using just te class variable. Like: $x = $y -> FetchRow(); echo $x; // Array echo $x -> id; // 'id' column from database

Stefan Over a year ago

Well, I used your solution with grossvogel's idea of using a toArray function, thanks all

troelskn · Accepted Answer · 2009-06-13 17:26:42Z

0

That's not possible. PHP doesn't allow you to overload operators.

answered Jun 13, 2009 at 17:26

troelskn

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Comments

erenon · Accepted Answer · 2009-06-13 17:42:44Z

0

Use the PDOStatment class and it's rowCount property.

answered Jun 13, 2009 at 17:42

erenon

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1 Comment

Stefan Over a year ago

That's something I don't wanna do (in this case)

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