README

This library helps to implement behavior like native data types (casts, comparision, conversion, operator overloading ...) for custom PHP objects.

Since PHP does not support operator overloading, custom helper functions are implemented to apply operations using the implemented behavior.

Following interfaces are available:

Helper functions

Since PHP does not support operator overloading special helper functions must be used to make objects behave as implemented by the specified interfaces. However helper functions are not autoloaded but may be imported by calling Obj::loadHelpers(). If not loaded, the helpers may be called using the static methods of the Obj-class

Behavior

Using one of the object helper functions, objects behave like native data types would do for the corresponding native operator.

Example:

class MyInt implements CastsAsInteger {
 	
 	public function toInt(): int {
 		return 3;
 	}
 	
}
$a = new MyInt();

$result = op_add($a, 2);

In this example $result will be 5. Adding an integer to the object will call the toInt()-function to cast the object as integer and than execute the operation.

Important You should not implement more than one CastsAs*-interface in one class. Of you would do the object might behave unexpected since in some situations it might be converted eg. to int and in others to float. Rather than implementing both interface, you should only implement eg. int. If a float value is required, the returned int value is casted to float automatically.

Overriding operators

Sometimes casting objects is not enough. Imagine a custom Money implementation where you want to add two Money objects and want to receive a new Money object instead of a scalar number. Therefore you may implement one of the Operator*-interfaces and define your custom operator.

How operators are applied

Sometimes it is not obvious which operator function is called. Especially if having two objects implementing the same operator. The behavior described below concerns the Operator*-interfaces as well as the Comparable-interface which overrides all comparision operators with one function:

• If both implement the operator interface, the operator function is invoked for the descended object if the objects are descendants and the operation is commutative (the compare operation is also treated as commutative). If objects are not descendants, the operator function is invoked for the left side object.

• If only one implements the Operator interface, the operator function is invoked for the corresponding object.

• If none implements the operator interface the objects are converted to their native representation and the native operator is applied.

Testing

You may mock helpers by creating a mock object for the ObjectHelper-class and pass it to Obj::mock(...). This way all calls to object helpers (via helper functions or static interface) are redirected to the mocked object. Call Obj::resetMock() to remove the mocked object und make object logic be used again.