aggregate

mail at bealers dot com (2008-11-20 10:14:35)

I had to fix someone else's php4 code to work under php5 that was b0rked due to aggregate not working, here's how I did it.

<?php
  
class shell { }

$classes = array("foo", "bar", "baz");

function php5aggregate($holdingClass, $className)
{
  // use php5 reflection to suss out the method names for the given class
  // http://uk.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.reflection.php
  $reflect = new ReflectionClass($className);
  foreach ($reflect->getMethods() as $method)
  {
    // copy the method to $holdingClass
    // http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.runkit-method-copy.php
    runkit_method_copy($holdingClass, $method->getName(), $className);
  }
}

if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.0.0') === 1) 
{
  /**
  * aggregate() does not exist in php5, so use our custom function
  * note, our custom aggregate function takes the holding class *name* 
  * which is instantiated afterwards, this is different to how the php4 function works
  */
  foreach($classes as $value) 
  {
    php5aggregate("shell",$value);
  }

  $shell = new shell;
}
else
{
  // php4
  $shell = new shell;
  foreach($classes as $value) 
  {
    aggregate($shell,$value);
  }
}
   
?>

kencomer at NOSPAM dot kencomer dot com (2005-09-11 21:22:34)

For PHP5 applications, the aggregate functionality available through classkit has been incorporated into and replaced by runkit. Per the classkit page of the PHP manual:
"Note: This extension has been replaced by runkit, which is not limited to class manipulation but has function manipulation, as well."
http://php.net/manual/en/ref.runkit.php
Per the runkit page:
" This package is meant as a feature added replacement for the classkit package. When compiled with the --enable-runkit=classkit option to ./configure, it will export classkit compatible function definitions and constants."

Matt Barry (2005-03-28 12:02:00)

A note for those who may be implementing projects in PHP4 using aggregate(); these functions do not exist in PHP5. For similar functionality, you can try using the Classkit extension:
http://us2.php.net/manual/en/ref.classkit.php

gmail pfayolle (2005-01-07 12:16:19)

Note that even if this can be used to emulate multiple inheritance to some extent, an object in PHP can only be subclass of the class used in the class declaration and no other.

<?php

class A {}
class B {}

class C extends A
{
  function C()
  {
    aggregate($this, 'B'); // emulate multiple inheritance
  }
}

$c = new C;
echo (int)is_subclass_of($c, 'B');

/*
Output: 0
*/

?>

hewei at ied dot org dot cn (2003-03-02 03:34:56)

YES you can use aggregation functions to simulate multiple inheritence.
function foo()
{
aggregate($this, "bar");
bar::bar();
}