D 2014-09-04T02:25:52.513
L rfc:function_autoloading
N text/x-markdown
P 08e479d70a348a0f024bd705dc151b2b04d1ee3e
U mario
W 2707
<h3> Function autoloading </h3>
PHP is a *hybrid* language. It however unevenly implements autoloading for classes only as of now. There are long-standing feature requests for supporting it with all language symbols. A more recent attempt to bring some systematization here was:
See [https://wiki.php.net/rfc/function_autoloading](https://wiki.php.net/rfc/function_autoloading)
The ensuing php-dev discussion wasn't overly constructive. (Fatal errors provide a higher performance than autoloading a function). Backhandedly however to prevent functions becoming first class language constructs, due to their implied and unfavored coding paradigm.
Meanwhile PHP 5.6 introduced [`use function`](https://wiki.php.net/rfc/use_function) imports, which however are aliases only, thus magnifying the dichotomy only further.
### Why is it in shared.phar ?
It's a proof-of-concept mostly.
Implementing function declaration lookups is a *trivial* by-product of doing things properly anyway.
### How can I use it *now*?
For current PHP versions, you need a workaround like this to shoehorn globally-autoloaded functions into your code:
/**
* Userland workaround for function_autoloading.
* Implements a static class, which random global functions can be
* invoked with.
*
* x::autoload_me(1,2,3);
*
*/
class x {
function __callStatic($name, $args=array()) {
if (!function_exists($name)) {
static $ca;
// find suitable autoloaders
if (!isset($ca)) {
$ca = array();
foreach (array_filter("is_object", spl_autoload_functions()) as $spl) {
if (is_a($spl, "Canonic_Autoloader")) {
$ca[] = $spl;
}
}
}
// invoke each autoloader
foreach ($ca as $autoload) {
$autoload($name, 2);
}
}
return call_user_func_array($name, $args);
}
}
Which obviously is hardly as enchanting as having PHP adhere to its hybrid heritage. And `x::` while an acceptably readable prefix, is not a standard denomination for such a feature.
Though the bemusing part here is, you just need to place `x.php` in your classpath. Then `shared.phar` will autoload both subsequently; first the static `x::` class, then your `autoloaded_func()` prior calling it.
Z 07f0824d1f919b9649b29415d30668de