Simple associative array syntax question

[doug]

In the tutorial, a session variable is set like in the following example:$_SESSION['views'] = 1;So $_SESSION is an associative array, the index is the string 'views' and the value is 1.In JavaScript associative arrays, the following two syntaxes are completely equivalent:$_SESSION['views']and$_SESSION.viewsIs there anything analogous in PHP - some dotted property syntax?Thanks,doug

[justsomeguy]

No, in PHP classes and arrays are two different things. In Javascript they are pretty much the same thing. Also, in PHP the member reference operator for a class is "->", the dot operator is for string concatenation.

[doug]

No, in PHP classes and arrays are two different things. In Javascript they are pretty much the same thing. Also, in PHP the member reference operator for a class is "->", the dot operator is for string concatenation.

In analogous JavaScript terms is a "class" like an object and a "member" like a property?doug

[justsomeguy]

A class is pretty much a definition of an object, the object is the defined instance of the class. Members are both methods and properties. Here's the class and object section of the manual:http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.php

[doug]

A class is pretty much a definition of an object, the object is the defined instance of the class. Members are both methods and properties. Here's the class and object section of the manual:http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.php

Thanks!doug

[doug]

A class is pretty much a definition of an object, the object is the defined instance of the class. Members are both methods and properties. Here's the class and object section of the manual:http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.php

One thing I couldn't find there, or maybe it was there but using different terminology than I am used to, is is there some way to have a dynamic property name?In this statement:$thisObject->xxx;xxx is a fixed identifier.Is it possible to do something like$thisObject->$xxxwhere the value of $xxx is the name of the property?By the by, my ISP is using PHP 4.4.4 instead of 5. Is that common?Thanks,doug

[justsomeguy]

Yes you can do that, assuming the variable holds a valid property name. You can also use one variable to access another one:

$foo = 'bar';$bar = 123;$$foo = $$foo * 2;echo $bar; // print 246

Some hosts still have PHP4, but it is no longer officially supported. PHP5 is already around 4 years old, so hosts should be moving there. It has quite a few improvements over PHP4 (the object model being one of them).

[doug]

Yes you can do that, assuming the variable holds a valid property name. You can also use one variable to access another one:

$foo = 'bar';$bar = 123;$$foo = $$foo * 2;echo $bar; // print 246

Some hosts still have PHP4, but it is no longer officially supported. PHP5 is already around 4 years old, so hosts should be moving there. It has quite a few improvements over PHP4 (the object model being one of them).

That is quite cool syntax. And that would be difficult to do so compactly without that $ delimiter at the head of each variable name.I'll inquire as to why my provider - which is a big provider - is still using the older version.Thanks again.doug

[jlhaslip]

PHP5 has a better OOPS support, as justsomeguy has stated, and it also supports the mysql Improved functions.PHP6 is already running around in the wild, so expect that it will be a short time before it gets to be common. Larry Ullman already has a book written for it.http://www.dmcinsights.com/phpmysql3/I haven't studied it yet, so I don't have many details or particulars.

[boen_robot]

I'll inquire as to why my provider - which is a big provider - is still using the older version.

Now there you have the answer to your quesiton.PHP5 eliminates and changes some things from PHP4. The PHP manaual contains a whole section about migrating from PHP4 to PHP5. Since your host is a big provider, they already have a lot of customers running on PHP4.If they migrate to PHP5, this means a lot of unhappy customers. From a client's point of view, this is a needless, and what's worse, forced and unexpected, change that forces them to ceise business and call their web developer. From a web developer's point of view, especially if they have a lot of customers hosted on that host, this means a lot of whining and a lot of sites to fix.What's worse is that, unlike browser differences, where you can use another browser and the problem will go away, a server "break"age would truly break any browser.Until your host is able to run PHP4 and PHP5 simultaniously (so that they can host PHP for all new customers and/or everyone who wants PHP5), or is able to provide a new, PHP5 only hosting plan, they'll be stuck with PHP4.

[doug]

Now there you have the answer to your quesiton.PHP5 eliminates and changes some things from PHP4. The PHP manaual contains a whole section about migrating from PHP4 to PHP5. Since your host is a big provider, they already have a lot of customers running on PHP4.If they migrate to PHP5, this means a lot of unhappy customers. From a client's point of view, this is a needless, and what's worse, forced and unexpected, change that forces them to ceise business and call their web developer. From a web developer's point of view, especially if they have a lot of customers hosted on that host, this means a lot of whining and a lot of sites to fix.What's worse is that, unlike browser differences, where you can use another browser and the problem will go away, a server "break"age would truly break any browser.Until your host is able to run PHP4 and PHP5 simultaniously (so that they can host PHP for all new customers and/or everyone who wants PHP5), or is able to provide a new, PHP5 only hosting plan, they'll be stuck with PHP4.

It turned out when I asked that they are, in fact, able to host both simultaneously.If you add the following line to the .htaccess file:AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5 .phpthen PHP becomes version 5.2.2.All my test scripts so far continue to work. So I might as well continue to learn in version 5, right?doug

[boen_robot]

It turned out when I asked that they are, in fact, able to host both simultaneously.If you add the following line to the .htaccess file:AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5 .phpthen PHP becomes version 5.2.2.All my test scripts so far continue to work. So I might as well continue to learn in version 5, right?doug

Wow. Great for them. And yes, you should continue in PHP5.