Predefined Interfaces and Classes

Table of Contents

Traversable — The Traversable interface
Iterator — The Iterator interface
- Iterator::current — Return the current element
- Iterator::key — Return the key of the current element
- Iterator::next — Move forward to next element
- Iterator::rewind — Rewind the Iterator to the first element
- Iterator::valid — Checks if current position is valid
IteratorAggregate — The IteratorAggregate interface
- IteratorAggregate::getIterator — Retrieve an external iterator
ArrayAccess — The ArrayAccess interface
- ArrayAccess::offsetExists — Whether a offset exists
- ArrayAccess::offsetGet — Offset to retrieve
- ArrayAccess::offsetSet — Offset to set
- ArrayAccess::offsetUnset — Offset to unset
Serializable — The Serializable interface
- Serializable::serialize — String representation of object
- Serializable::unserialize — Constructs the object
Closure — The Closure class
- Closure::__construct — Constructor that disallows instantiation
- Closure::bind — Duplicates a closure with a specific bound object and class scope
- Closure::bindTo — Duplicates the closure with a new bound object and class scope
Generator — The Generator class
- Generator::current — Get the yielded value
- Generator::key — Get the yielded key
- Generator::next — Resume execution of the generator
- Generator::rewind — Rewind the iterator
- Generator::send — Send a value to the generator
- Generator::throw — Throw an exception into the generator
- Generator::valid — Check if the iterator has been closed
- Generator::__wakeup — Serialize callback

See also the SPL Interfaces and reserved classes.

The Traversable interface

Introduction

Interface to detect if a class is traversable using foreach.

Abstract base interface that cannot be implemented alone. Instead it must be implemented by either IteratorAggregate or Iterator.

Note:
Internal (built-in) classes that implement this interface can be used in a foreach construct and do not need to implement IteratorAggregate or Iterator.

Note:
This is an internal engine interface which cannot be implemented in PHP scripts. Either IteratorAggregate or Iterator must be used instead. When implementing an interface which extends Traversable, make sure to list IteratorAggregate or Iterator before its name in the implements clause.

Interface synopsis

Traversable

class Traversable {

}

This interface has no methods, its only purpose is to be the base interface for all traversable classes.

The Iterator interface

Introduction

Interface for external iterators or objects that can be iterated themselves internally.

Interface synopsis

Iterator

class Iterator extends Traversable {

/* Methods */

abstract public mixed current ( void )

abstract public scalar key ( void )

abstract public void next ( void )

abstract public void rewind ( void )

abstract public boolean valid ( void )

}

Predefined iterators

PHP already provides a number of iterators for many day to day tasks. See SPL iterators for a list.

Examples

Example #1 Basic usage

This example demonstrates in which order methods are called when using foreach with an iterator.


<?php
class myIterator implements Iterator {
    private $position = 0;
    private $array = array(
        "firstelement",
        "secondelement",
        "lastelement",
    );  

    public function __construct() {
        $this->position = 0;
    }

    function rewind() {
        var_dump(__METHOD__);
        $this->position = 0;
    }

    function current() {
        var_dump(__METHOD__);
        return $this->array[$this->position];
    }

    function key() {
        var_dump(__METHOD__);
        return $this->position;
    }

    function next() {
        var_dump(__METHOD__);
        ++$this->position;
    }

    function valid() {
        var_dump(__METHOD__);
        return isset($this->array[$this->position]);
    }
}

$it = new myIterator;

foreach($it as $key => $value) {
    var_dump($key, $value);
    echo "\n";
}
?>

The above example will output something similar to:

string(18) "myIterator::rewind"
string(17) "myIterator::valid"
string(19) "myIterator::current"
string(15) "myIterator::key"
int(0)
string(12) "firstelement"

string(16) "myIterator::next"
string(17) "myIterator::valid"
string(19) "myIterator::current"
string(15) "myIterator::key"
int(1)
string(13) "secondelement"

string(16) "myIterator::next"
string(17) "myIterator::valid"
string(19) "myIterator::current"
string(15) "myIterator::key"
int(2)
string(11) "lastelement"

string(16) "myIterator::next"
string(17) "myIterator::valid"

The IteratorAggregate interface

Introduction

Interface to create an external Iterator.

Interface synopsis

IteratorAggregate

class IteratorAggregate extends Traversable {

/* Methods */

abstract public Traversable getIterator ( void )

}

Example #1 Basic usage


<?php
class myData implements IteratorAggregate {
    public $property1 = "Public property one";
    public $property2 = "Public property two";
    public $property3 = "Public property three";

    public function __construct() {
        $this->property4 = "last property";
    }

    public function getIterator() {
        return new ArrayIterator($this);
    }
}

$obj = new myData;

foreach($obj as $key => $value) {
    var_dump($key, $value);
    echo "\n";
}
?>

The above example will output something similar to:

string(9) "property1"
string(19) "Public property one"

string(9) "property2"
string(19) "Public property two"

string(9) "property3"
string(21) "Public property three"

string(9) "property4"
string(13) "last property"

The ArrayAccess interface

Introduction

Interface to provide accessing objects as arrays.

Interface synopsis

ArrayAccess

class ArrayAccess {

/* Methods */

abstract public boolean offsetExists ( mixed $offset )

abstract public mixed offsetGet ( mixed $offset )

abstract public void offsetSet ( mixed $offset , mixed $value )

abstract public void offsetUnset ( mixed $offset )

}

Example #1 Basic usage


<?php
class obj implements arrayaccess {
    private $container = array();
    public function __construct() {
        $this->container = array(
            "one"   => 1,
            "two"   => 2,
            "three" => 3,
        );
    }
    public function offsetSet($offset, $value) {
        if (is_null($offset)) {
            $this->container[] = $value;
        } else {
            $this->container[$offset] = $value;
        }
    }
    public function offsetExists($offset) {
        return isset($this->container[$offset]);
    }
    public function offsetUnset($offset) {
        unset($this->container[$offset]);
    }
    public function offsetGet($offset) {
        return isset($this->container[$offset]) ? $this->container[$offset] : null;
    }
}

$obj = new obj;

var_dump(isset($obj["two"]));
var_dump($obj["two"]);
unset($obj["two"]);
var_dump(isset($obj["two"]));
$obj["two"] = "A value";
var_dump($obj["two"]);
$obj[] = 'Append 1';
$obj[] = 'Append 2';
$obj[] = 'Append 3';
print_r($obj);
?>

The above example will output something similar to:

bool(true)
int(2)
bool(false)
string(7) "A value"
obj Object
(
    [container:obj:private] => Array
        (
            [one] => 1
            [three] => 3
            [two] => A value
            [0] => Append 1
            [1] => Append 2
            [2] => Append 3
        )

)

The Serializable interface

Introduction

Interface for customized serializing.

Classes that implement this interface no longer support __sleep() and __wakeup(). The method serialize is called whenever an instance needs to be serialized. This does not invoke __destruct() or has any other side effect unless programmed inside the method. When the data is unserialized the class is known and the appropriate unserialize() method is called as a constructor instead of calling __construct(). If you need to execute the standard constructor you may do so in the method.

Interface synopsis

Serializable

class Serializable {

/* Methods */

abstract public string serialize ( void )

abstract public void unserialize ( string $serialized )

}

Example #1 Basic usage


<?php
class obj implements Serializable {
    private $data;
    public function __construct() {
        $this->data = "My private data";
    }
    public function serialize() {
        return serialize($this->data);
    }
    public function unserialize($data) {
        $this->data = unserialize($data);
    }
    public function getData() {
        return $this->data;
    }
}

$obj = new obj;
$ser = serialize($obj);

var_dump($ser);

$newobj = unserialize($ser);

var_dump($newobj->getData());
?>

The above example will output something similar to:

string(38) "C:3:"obj":23:{s:15:"My private data";}"
string(15) "My private data"

The Closure class

Introduction

Class used to represent anonymous functions.

Anonymous functions, implemented in PHP 5.3, yield objects of this type. This fact used to be considered an implementation detail, but it can now be relied upon. Starting with PHP 5.4, this class has methods that allow further control of the anonymous function after it has been created.

Besides the methods listed here, this class also has an __invoke method. This is for consistency with other classes that implement calling magic, as this method is not used for calling the function.

Class synopsis

Closure

class Closure {

/* Methods */

private __construct ( void )

public static Closure bind ( Closure $closure , object $newthis [, mixed $newscope = 'static' ] )

public Closure bindTo ( object $newthis [, mixed $newscope = 'static' ] )

}

The Generator class

Introduction

Generator objects are returned from generators.

Caution

Generator objects cannot be instantiated via new.

Class synopsis

Generator

class Generator implements Iterator {

/* Methods */

public mixed current ( void )

public mixed key ( void )

public void next ( void )

public void rewind ( void )

public mixed send ( mixed $value )

public mixed throw ( Exception $exception )

public bool valid ( void )

public void __wakeup ( void )

}