Hey, I have a problem. I know the problem is really simple, I don't know to solve it.

OK, I write a simple PHP engine. I have a main class, called engine_class.php in the root, and sub classes in a subfolder called plugins. I've already wrote a autoloader etc, but here comes the problem.

The "engine_class.php":

PHP Code:


// Autoloader ..

class engine {

// Declarations, functions, etc...

function __call ($name, $args) {

$this->$name = new $name;

return call_user_func_array(array($this->$name, $name), $args);

}

} 


(I've already created some sub-classes... cookie, mysql...)

Now i want, in example (index.php):

PHP Code:

include "engine_class.php";

$engine = new engine;

// static
$engine->cookie()::set("name", "value"); // I know that this don't work

// or non-static
$engine->mysql("localhost", "test", "test", "test");

$engine->mysql()->query("SELECT * FROM test"); 


Now, how can I do, that my sub-classes wil work like in my upper example in/with the main class?

So, that i can use it like this:

PHP Code:

$engine = new engine;

$engine->[subclass]()->[submethod]($arg1, $arg2, ...);
// or for static:
$engine->[subclass]()::[submethod]($arg1, $arg2, ...); 


PHP Code:

// Autoloader .. 
// now following is code for entire engine.php
class engine { 

// Declarations, functions, etc... 

protected function __call ($name, $args) { 

$this->$name = new $name; 

return call_user_func_array(array($this->$name, $name), $args); 

} 

}  

class cookie extends engine{

  // here you can access engine methods with like --
  // parent::function_name($para);

  protected function set($str,$value){
   //set cookie here
 }  

}
class mysql extends engine{
 
  function __construct($host,$username,$password){
    //remaining code
 }
 
  //you can access engine methods with like --
  // parent::function_name($para);

  protected function query($str){
   //execute the query
 }  

} 


then simply incude engine.php in your index.php file as-

PHP Code:

include 'engine.php';

$cookie=new cookie;
$cookie->set('name','value');
$mysql=new mysql('localhost','user','password');
$mysql->query('selct *from table'); 


P.S. someone correct if i'm wrong here .

Yeah, I know this style, but I don't want to create 100 new variables for database, cookie, mail,.. and other subclasses.I want to create a object, which includes all of it.

When a plugin is loaded, create an instance of it's class and assign it to a variable with the class' name. I'm not entirely sure of the syntax here, but something along this line

PHP Code:

// your plugin loader function
function load($class_name, $params) {
   $this->{strtolower($class_name)} = new {$class_name}($params);
} 


So, if you i.e. load the MySQL class, then you should be able to use the plugin object like so

PHP Code:

$engine->mysql->query('...'); 


Here is a tip I've been using myself for an application I'm building. Using the overloading features are very handy. This will keep an array of objaect instances, so it will make the classes become singleton. You example was trying to intiate the class twice.

PHP Code:

class engine
{
    protected static $_instances = array();
    
    
    public function __call($className, $arguments)
    {
        if (isset(self::$_instances[$className])) return self::$_instances[$className];
        
        if (!class_exists($className)) throw new Exception("Class $className does not exist");
        
        self::$_instances[$className] = call_user_function(array($className, '__construct'), $arguments);
        
        return self::$_instances[$className];
    }
} 


Mgraphic, I used your code and when i call it like:

PHP Code:

engine::cookie()->set("name", "value");
// or
engine::mysql("localhost", "test", "test", "test"); 


throws me error:

Call to undefined method engine::cookie()
// or
Call to undefined method engine::mysql()

and when i call it like:

PHP Code:

$engine = new engine;

$engine->cookie()->set("name", "value");
// or
$engine->mysql("localhost", "test", "test", "test"); 


it throws me:

call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, non-static method cookie::cookie() cannot be called statically in ...
// and
Call to a member function set() on a non-object in ...

// or this in the mysql class

call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, non-static method mysql::mysql() cannot be called statically in

If you want the overload __call() function to be called staticly, you can rename it or copy it as __callStatic().

Change the callback argument of call_user_func_array() to $className instead of array($className, '__construct')

I've try everything, but it dont work's :S

engine call, like you said:

PHP Code:

public function __call($className, $args) {
        
    if (isset(self::$_instances[$className])) return self::$_instances[$className];
        
    if (!class_exists($className)) throw new Exception("Class $className does not exist");
        
    self::$_instances[$className] = call_user_func_array($className, $args);
        
    return self::$_instances[$className];
        
} 


cookie_class..

PHP Code:

class cookie {

    // other funkcions....

    public function set($name, $value, $expiry = 31536000, $path = '/') {
    
        if ( !headers_sent() ) {

            $expiry += time();

            @setcookie($name, $value, $expiry, $path);
            
            $_COOKIE[$name] = $value;

        }    
    
    }
  
} 


and calling of it:

PHP Code:

$engine = new engine;

$engine->cookie->set("name", "value"); 


and it throw me this errors...

Undefined property: engine::$cookie in...
//and
Call to a member function set() on a non-object in...

but if i try:

PHP Code:

$engine->cookie()->set("name", "value"); 


then:

call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function 'cookie' not found or invalid function name in...
//and
Call to a member function set() on a non-object in ...

Take a look into PHP ReflectionClass - You can intiate a new class using
ReflectionClass::newInstance() and ReflectionClass::newInstanceArgs()
http://php.net/manual/en/class.reflectionclass.php

Now it works

Thanks!!