(object)

arrays as objects as arrays ...

[nyteshade]

I just ran across something:

$stateAbbrv = (object) array("DC","OH","VA","MI","TX");

The (object) keyword? I've never seen. It allows var_dump to provide additional info on the array as an object but I thought that arrays were objects? Anyone know anything about (object)? I tried php manual and several searches with no luck. Thanks all.

[coopster]

You can type cast any variable to the type desired, including object.

$string = (string) (10*10); // Creates a string of '100' 
$integer = (integer) '100'; // Creates an integer of 100 

More reading ...
[php.net...]
[php.net...]

[Readie]

I thought that arrays were objects

Arrays are collections of data. Essentially a variable containing more variables.

While part of an object is data, it also typically has internal methods associated with it, and has some very unique behavior with regards to statics.

[penders]

I thought that arrays were objects

In JavaScript they are.

$stateAbbrv = (object) array("DC","OH","VA","MI","TX");

Be careful about casting arrays with numeric indices (such as this one) to objects since you won't be able to access any of the property values directly without using a foreach() construct.

It allows var_dump to provide additional info on the array...

What additional info?

[nyteshade]

Thanks everyone! I didn't know you could type cast with (object) . I'm on my 3rd PHP book: "PHP Objects, Patterns, and Practice"; so far, haven't seen (object) syntax. Is it a method?

//for penders:

$stateAbbrv = array("DC","OH","VA","MI","TX");
var_dump($stateAbbrv);

array(5) {
[0]=>
string(2) "DC"
[1]=>
string(2) "OH"
[2]=>
string(2) "VA"
[3]=>
string(2) "MI"
[4]=>
string(2) "TX"
}

$stateAbbrv = (object) array("DC","OH","VA","MI","TX");
var_dump($stateAbbrv);

object(stdClass)#1 (5) {
[0]=>
string(2) "DC"
[1]=>
string(2) "OH"
[2]=>
string(2) "VA"
[3]=>
string(2) "MI"
[4]=>
string(2) "TX"
}

[nyteshade]

coopster - thanks for the links, much clearer on the casting thing now... and penders, yes, I just came away from two months of js dom scripting lessons and made the assumption everything is an object, imagine that.

[nyteshade]

My previous statement regarding the absence of type casting from my earlier readings was incorrect. Type casting was explained in the earlier books I've read but only cursorily, like a paragraph, but it was there.