Adding properties to an object using a fluent interface

Question

I have a class like below:

$structure = new stdClass();

$structure->template->view_data->method       = 'get_sth';
$structure->template->view_data->lang         = $lang;
$structure->template->view_data->id_page      = $id_page;
$structure->template->view_data->media_type   = 'ibs';
$structure->template->view_data->limit        = '0';
$structure->template->view_data->result_type  = 'result';

And I am curious about if it can be written like below?

$structure->template->view_data->method       = 'get_sth_else',
                               ->lang         = $lang,
                               ->id_page      = $id_page,
                               ->media_type   = 'ibs',
                               ->limit        = '0',
                               ->result_type  = 'result',

                    ->another-data->method    = 'sth_else',
                                  ->type      = 'sth',
                                  ->different = 'sth sth';

You can't use your syntax, but you can return `$this` in each setter in order to call `setA($a) -> setB($b) -> ... -> setZ($z)`. — moonwave99, Oct 08 '12 at 09:09
They could make it easier by overloading the __call function to overload the set* functions. — Shane, Oct 08 '12 at 09:11

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 08 '12 at 09:11

1

No, you have to pass each time the object and the value:

$structure->template->view_data->method       = 'get_sth_else';
$structure->template->view_data->lang         = $lang;
$structure->template->view_data->id_page      = $id_page;
$structure->template->view_data->media_type   = 'ibs';
$structure->template->view_data->limit        = '0';
$structure->template->view_data->result_type  = 'result';

$structure->template->another_data->method    = 'sth_else';
$structure->template->another_data->type      = 'sth';
$structure->template->another_data->different = 'sth sth';

answered Oct 08 '12 at 09:11

Mihai Iorga

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While working with active record in Codeigniter, we can chain methods in a way, so I believed it should be a way for this too.. – Oct 08 '12 at 09:17
I believe you, but objects are not chainable. – Mihai Iorga Oct 08 '12 at 09:18

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 08 '12 at 09:32

What you are talking about is called a 'Fluent Interface', and it can make your code easier to read.

It can't be used 'out of the box', you have to set up your classes to use it. Basically, any method that you want to use in a fluent interface must return an instance of itself. So you could do something like:-

class structure
{
    private $attribute;
    private $anotherAttribute;

    public function setAttribute($attribute)
    {
        $this->attribute = $attribute;
        return $this;
    }

    public function setAnotherAttribute($anotherAttribute)
    {
        $this->anotherAttribute = $anotherAttribute;
        return $this;
    }

    public function getAttribute()
    {
        return $this->attribute;
    }

    //More methods .....
}

and then call it like this:-

$structure = new structure();
$structure->setAttribute('one')->setAnotherAttribute('two');

Obviously, this will not work for getters, as they must return the value you are looking for.

Adding properties to an object using a fluent interface

2 Answers2