php function call default args

Question

How to I make a call to a function where I want to use some default args and some some I pass in:

function genericlist (array $arr, string $name, [string $attribs = null], 
           [string $key = 'value'], [string $text = 'text'], 
           [mixed $selected = NULL], [ $idtag = false], [ $translate = false])

I only want to pass in $arr, $name, $selected and use the default values for everything else, how do I do that? I know I could pass in the default values and go in order but I there must me another way. Thank you.

user142162 · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-22 16:17:47Z

1

array_merge might be able to give you a solution, if you're interested in using the arrays route:

function func1($args = array())
{
   $defaults = array('X' => 10, 'Y' => 30);
   $args = array_merge($defaults, $args);
   // $args now has default arguments and user supplied arguments

   return $args;
}

func1(); // array('X' => 10, 'Y' => 30)
func1(array('X' => 40)); // array('X' => 40, 'Y' => 30)

answered Apr 22, 2011 at 16:17

user142162

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1 Comment

milan Over a year ago

This probably works but it more complicated than I need. I thought there was a better way but I think I am getting php mixed up with javascript or something. Anyways I am just going type in the defaults as arguments. Thanks for your help.

user703016 · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-22 16:16:58Z

0

Well, either you do pass the default values indeed, either you reorder the arguments so as to put $selected before all other optional arguments.

Also, you can request for named parameters on PHP development forums.

answered Apr 22, 2011 at 16:16

user703016

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2 Comments

milan Over a year ago

Yea I think I am getting php mixed up with some other language. I am probably not going to request this feature in the PHP development forums....

milan Over a year ago

I knew about the pass in the default values and that is what I ended up doing so I am marking your response as the correct one. Thank you.

Brad Christie · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-22 16:24:21Z

0

I see two solutions:

Create the function with null arguments. When a null value is supplied, check for it within the function and replace it with a default. This is round-about in that it's no longer specified in the prototype, but does offer the default value solution with minimal effort.
Turn your prototype in to an array argument with key-value pairs. This is similar to the first solution, but you can use a method such as array_merge to combine the "default value" array and the newly passed argument values.

Example 1:

function abc($foo = null, $bar = null)
{
  // defaulting parameters
  if (is_null($foo)) $foo = 'Hello, world!'; // foo default value
  if (is_null($bar)) $bar = 123.45; // bar default value

  // on-ward with the function
}

// override bar, but not foo:
abc(null, 987.65);

Example 2:

function def($args)
{
  // defaulting parameters
  $args = array_merge(
    array(
      'foo' => 'Hello, world!', // Default foo value
      'bar' => 123.45           // default bar value
    ),
    $args // override with supplied values
  );

  // on-ward with the function
}

// override bar, but not foo
def(array('bar'=>987.65));

edited Apr 22, 2011 at 16:24

answered Apr 22, 2011 at 16:19

Brad Christie

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1 Comment

milan Over a year ago

Thanks for the response but this is more complicated than I need. I thought there was a better way but I think I am getting php mixed up with javascript or some other language. Anyways I am just going type in the defaults as arguments.

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