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is_subclass_of> <interface_exists
Last updated: Fri, 27 Jun 2008

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is_a

(PHP 4 >= 4.2.0, PHP 5)

is_a — Checks if the object is of this class or has this class as one of its parents

Description

bool is_a ( object $object , string $class_name )

Checks if the given object is of this class or has this class as one of its parents.

Note: The is_a() function is deprecated as of PHP 5 in favor of the instanceof type operator.

Parameters

object

The tested object

class_name

The class name

Return Values

Returns TRUE if the object is of this class or has this class as one of its parents, FALSE otherwise.

Examples

Example #1 is_a() example

<?php
// define a class
class WidgetFactory
{
  var 
$oink 'moo';
}

// create a new object
$WF = new WidgetFactory();

if (
is_a($WF'WidgetFactory')) {
  echo 
"yes, \$WF is still a WidgetFactory\n";
}
?>

Example #2 Using the instanceof operator in PHP 5

<?php
if ($WF instanceof WidgetFactory) {
    echo 
'Yes, $WF is a WidgetFactory';
}
?>



is_subclass_of> <interface_exists
Last updated: Fri, 27 Jun 2008
 
add a note add a note User Contributed Notes
is_a
p dot scheit at zweipol dot net
16-Jan-2007 01:44
At least in PHP 5.1.6 this works as well with Interfaces.

<?php
interface test {
  public function
A();
}

class
TestImplementor implements test {
  public function
A () {
    print
"A";
  }
}

$testImpl = new TestImplementor();

var_dump(is_a($testImpl,'test'));
?>

will return true
martin dunisch
13-Feb-2006 12:02
Workaround for older PHP-Versions:

function is_a($anObject, $aClass) {
   return get_class($anObject) == strtolower($aClass)
     or is_subclass_of($anObject, $aClass);
}
dead dot screamer at seznam dot cz
06-Feb-2006 11:44
Why I test if class `A` inherit class `B` or implements interface `C` before I create class `A`?

<?
//That isn't work:

//1. function is_A()
if(is_A('A','B'))$a=new A;
if(is_A('A','C'))$a=new A;

//2. operator instanceOf
if(A instanceOf B)$a=new A;
if(A instanceOf C)$a=new A;
?>
zabmilenko at hotmail dot com
07-Oct-2005 05:18
Lazy Instantiation using is_a() and php5

<?php

class ObjectA
{
    public function
print_line($text)
    {
        print
$text . "\n";
    }
}

class
ObjectB
{
    public function
ObjectA()
    {
        static
$objecta;

        if (!
is_a($objecta, 'ObjectA'))
        {
           
$objecta = new ObjectA;
        }

        return
$objecta;
    }
}

$obj = new ObjectB;
$obj->ObjectA()->print_line('testing, 1 2 3');

?>

In the above example, ObjectA is not instantiated until needed by ObjectB.  Then ObjectB can continually use it's creation as needed without reinstantiating it. 

There are other ways, but I like this one :-)
cesoid at yahoo dot com
05-Oct-2005 07:01
is_a returns TRUE for instances of children of the class.

For example:

class Animal
{}

class Dog extends Animal
{}

$test = new Dog();

In this example is_a($test, "Animal") would evaluate to TRUE as well as is_a($test, "Dog").

This seemed intuitive to me, but did not seem to be documented.

is_subclass_of> <interface_exists
Last updated: Fri, 27 Jun 2008
 
 
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