Part III. Language Reference

Table of Contents

1. Basic syntax

Escaping from HTML

Instruction separation

Comments

2. Types

Introduction

Booleans

Syntax

Converting to boolean

Integers

Syntax

Integer overflow

Converting to integer

Floating point numbers

Converting to float

Strings

Syntax

Useful functions and operators

Converting to string

String conversion to numbers

Arrays

Syntax

Useful functions

Array do's and don'ts

Converting to array

Comparing

Examples

Objects

Object Initialization

Converting to object

Resource

Converting to resource

Freeing resources

NULL

Syntax

Pseudo-types and variables used in this documentation

mixed

number

callback

void

...

Type Juggling

Type Casting

3. Variables

Basics

Predefined variables

Variable scope

The global keyword

Using static variables

References with global and static variables

Variable variables

Variables from outside PHP

HTML Forms (GET and POST)

HTTP Cookies

Dots in incoming variable names

Determining variable types

4. Constants

Syntax

Magic constants

5. Expressions

6. Operators

Operator Precedence

Arithmetic Operators

Assignment Operators

Bitwise Operators

Comparison Operators

Ternary Operator

Error Control Operators

Execution Operators

Incrementing/Decrementing Operators

Logical Operators

String Operators

Array Operators

Type Operators

7. Control Structures

if

else

elseif

Alternative syntax for control structures

while

do-while

for

foreach

break

continue

switch

declare

Ticks

return

require

include

require_once

include_once

8. Functions

User-defined functions

Function arguments

Making arguments be passed by reference

Default argument values

Variable-length argument lists

Returning values

Variable functions

Internal (built-in) functions

9. Classes and Objects (PHP 4)

class

extends

Constructors

Scope Resolution Operator (::)

parent

Serializing objects - objects in sessions

The magic functions __sleep and __wakeup

References inside the constructor

Comparing objects

10. Classes and Objects (PHP 5)

Introduction

The Basics

class

new

extends

Autoloading Objects

Constructors and Destructors

Constructor

Destructor

Visibility

Members Visibility

Method Visibility

Scope Resolution Operator (::)

Static Keyword

Class Constants

Class Abstraction

Object Interfaces

implements

Examples

Overloading

Member overloading

Method overloading

Object Iteration

Patterns

Factory

Singleton

Magic Methods

__sleep and __wakeup

__toString

__set_state

Final Keyword

Object cloning

Comparing objects

Reflection

Table of Contents

Introduction

Reflector

ReflectionException

ReflectionFunction

ReflectionParameter

ReflectionClass

ReflectionObject

ReflectionMethod

ReflectionProperty

ReflectionExtension

Extending the reflection classes

Type Hinting

Late Static Bindings

Limitations of self::

Late Static Bindings' usage

Edge cases

11. Exceptions

Extending Exceptions

12. References Explained

What References Are

What References Do

What References Are Not

Passing by Reference

Returning References

Unsetting References

Spotting References

global References

$this