NYCPHP Meetup

[Chris Hubbard]

Heh.  You sound like where I have been. 
I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out OO, making myself crazy. 
Then it dawned on me that I hadn't had a need that OO would solve. 

Most of my code used functions.   Most of my code used the same functions. 
So I started moving the functions into an included file. 
Then I had two files; one a bunch of functions, and then the code file. 
Then I started organizing the functions into different included files. 
So I had 6 or so possible files and one code file. 
Then it dawned on me that I was creating the effect of OO. 
So I rewrote the files that contained the functions, so each file became 
a single class, with a collection of methods instead of a single file 
with a collection of functions.  (note, as far as I can tell there's no 
real difference between a method and a function in php)  I had to go 
through and change some stuff, like using $this-> all over the place. 
When I was done I had a bunch of different classes that were a bit 
harder to use than the different include files.  After grumbling for a 
while, someone suggested creating a single error handling method that 
all the methods within a class would use. 
So now each class has integrated error handling (error reporting), 
instead of every method. 
Then I could add in things like a timer, debugging information.  
Refactoring the code across all the class-methods is easier than if 
they're just functions.
So:
procedural -> OO is pointless unless:
1.  it makes it easier to maintain the code
2.  it makes it easier to improve the code
3.  it makes it easier to debug the code
4.  it makes it easier to pick up girls
5.  it makes it easier to show off at the users group (see #5)

Almost all the documentation about OO complicates the issue.  It's 
really not that difficult.  If you're not understanding it, it's not 
because you're missing the OO bone/gene/hair.  It's because whoever is 
explaining it to you doesn't understand it well enough to explain.

Relax, drink a beer.  It's not that complex.  If you're thinking hard 
about OO, you're doing the wrong thinking.  Save your hard thinking to 
solve the problem.  Once you've groked the problem the OO stuff will 
flow easily.

Where to start:  take any single function and convert it to a class:
function print_array($array)
{
    print_r($array);
}

becomes
class print_array
{
    function print_array($array)
    {
       print_r($array);
    }
}

Both produce the same output.

Hopefully this is clear and helpful.  Rather than obscure and annoying.
Chris


bpang at bpang.com wrote:

>I've been "trying" to cross over, or at least start writing OO code, for a
>long time, but I never can seem to fully catch on.
>I am pretty sure I could identify many instances where my code would
>benefit from OO, and I've been told that my procedural code is written in
>OO format, just without the use of objects.
>
>This may be near impossible to answer, but, what would you say is the key
>to "grasp the concepts behind OO" and to put it to use?
>
>I suppose if I forced myself to use it, I would probably figure it out,
>and I always feel a little "learning-disabled" for not having picked it up
>yet, even after some tutorials, etc, but then Felix comes along and makes
>me feel better about it...
>
>Felix said:
>"For most simple web based stuff you will almost never need to code
>objects yourself."
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>>I think it is more than possible, though personally I prefer PHP to
>>Java, and for anything web-related I would almost certainly use PHP
>>rather than Java, purely because it is so flexible and easy to use.  As
>>for crossing over into OO, just take things one step at a time, once you
>>grasp the concepts behind OO you will see plenty of situations where you
>>could use OO design methods.  For example there are countless situations
>>where you can encapsulate functionality into a generic object, then use
>>inheritance to specialise that object for your particular needs.
>>    
>>
>
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