Array key as object property

Question

I have a PHP class with a few static properties like so:

static public $_TYPE_DESIGN_DRAFT = 'design_draft';
static public $_TYPE_STORYTELLING_DRAFT = 'storytelling_draft';
static public $_TYPE_OTHER = 'other';
static public $_TYPE_DATA_FILE = 'data_file';

static public $_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = array(       // on the next line it breaks
                self::$_TYPE_DESIGN_DRAFT => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
                self::$_TYPE_STORYTELLING_DRAFT => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
                self::$_TYPE_OTHER => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
                self::$_TYPE_DATA_FILE => array("pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv", "xls")
);

But it seems PHP won't let me define an array like that with the value of the keys as static properties of the same class.

A workaround would be to only define the $_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS var in the constructor of the class, but then I can't make it static because when static, the constructor doesn't get called.

Is there an effective workaround for this?

the second line of your array definition contains a typo, you open parentheses but never close them: self::$_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS => array( — Asciiom
– Asciiom, Commented Aug 29, 2012 at 12:38
Wouldn't a singleton or a lazy-instantiation static method be better? — moonwave99
– moonwave99, Commented Aug 29, 2012 at 12:45
@JeroenMoons the last line in the code has the close-parenthesis for $_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS. — Matt
– Matt, Commented Aug 29, 2012 at 12:47

Matt Humphrey · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-29 12:45:22Z

3

You cannot use class properties like this.

Following on from my comment; can you not doing something like this?

class Test
{
    static public $_TYPE_DESIGN_DRAFT = 'design_draft';
    static public $_TYPE_STORYTELLING_DRAFT = 'storytelling_draft';
    static public $_TYPE_OTHER = 'other';
    static public $_TYPE_DATA_FILE = 'data_file';

    static public $_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = array();

    public static function init()
    {
        self::$_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = array(
            self::$_TYPE_DESIGN_DRAFT => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
            self::$_TYPE_STORYTELLING_DRAFT => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
            self::$_TYPE_OTHER => array("jpeg", "jpg", "png", "gif", "pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv"),
            self::$_TYPE_DATA_FILE => array("pdf", "txt", "rtf", "doc", "csv", "xls")       
        );      
    }
}

Test::init();
print_r(Test::$_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS);

answered Aug 29, 2012 at 12:45

Matt Humphrey

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1 Comment

Eduard Luca Over a year ago

Hmm yes, that would certainly be a solution. Not very elegant, but effective and afaik the only thing that worked :) Thanks!

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