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Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails

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Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:

> Christoph M. Becker wrote:
> 
>> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:
>>> James Harris wrote:
>>>> I understand that PHP constructors cannot return anything
>>> Doubtful.
>>
>> AIUI, a PHP constructor is the method __construct, […]
> 
> A common misconception (which was discussed during the ZCE PHP 5.4 Exam 
> Preparation Course because it is a common pitfall in the exam).

<snipped thorough explanation>

Thanks.  I am aware of that (unfortunately, I'm still having to cope
with PHP 4 compatible code).  I attempted (and failed) to make the
distinction between a function vs. an object-creation-expression[1]
being called constructor, the latter obviously "returning" something.

>> and that does not create an object, but merely initializes it, so the
>> constructor can be thought of as a command (opposed to a query), and as
>> such would never return anything (at least when properly called within a
>> /new/ statement).
> 
> Since PHP 5.3.x at the latest, it is no longer possible to call constructors 
> statically except with parent::…() [1], as that results in “Fatal error: 
> Non-static method … cannot be called statically …” − 

ACK.  However, you could call a constructor function dynamically, e.g.

  $this->__construct();

> Also, it would appear that when a method is called as a constructor (with 
> the “new” keyword; in the aforementioned PHP 5.6 version – may also be 
> different in previous versions), its return value is ignored even if it is a 
> reference to an object.  [Because of that, a constructor that can also serve 
> as a factory, as in ECMAScript, for example, appears to be impossible in 
> PHP.]

See <http://3v4l.org/IO1qB> for an example of the behavior of several
PHP versions (they behave like your PHP 5.6.2-1).

AFAIK, the behavior of ECMAScript is rather uncommon, but quite useful
(especially wrt. calling the constructor function without new), but can
be simulated in PHP with static factory methods and (a) private
constructor(s).

[1]
<https://github.com/php/php-langspec/blob/master/spec/10-expressions.md#the-new-operator>

-- 
Christoph M. Becker

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Thread

OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2014-11-11 15:13 +0000
  Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-11 10:20 -0500
    Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2014-11-11 15:56 +0000
      Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-11 11:03 -0500
        Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2014-11-11 16:27 +0000
          Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Matthew Carter <m@ahungry.com> - 2014-11-11 12:01 -0500
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-11 12:56 -0500
          Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-11 12:52 -0500
  Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-11 18:12 +0100
  Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2014-11-11 13:03 -0500
  Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-11 23:54 +0100
    Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-12 03:00 +0100
      Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Matthew Carter <m@ahungry.com> - 2014-11-11 22:25 -0500
        Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-11 22:36 -0500
          Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Matthew Carter <m@ahungry.com> - 2014-11-12 01:30 -0500
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-12 07:08 -0500
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-12 13:30 +0100
              Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2014-11-12 13:52 +0000
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-13 00:46 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-12 22:28 -0500
      Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-12 21:30 +0100
        Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-13 01:15 +0100
          Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-13 04:09 +0100
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Stefan+Usenet@Froehlich.Priv.at (Stefan Froehlich) - 2014-11-13 07:42 +0000
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-13 14:11 +0100
              Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-13 21:40 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-14 13:49 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-14 23:25 +0100
          Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-12 22:29 -0500
            Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-13 21:45 +0100
              Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-13 15:56 -0500
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-13 22:09 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2014-11-13 21:03 -0500
              Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-13 22:47 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2014-11-13 22:59 +0100
                Re: OO PHP result of new if a constructor fails "Christoph M. Becker" <cmbecker69@arcor.de> - 2014-11-18 19:02 +0100

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