David Coallier has posted a nice overview of what SPL Types are in PHP and a brief example of hos they can be used. SPL_Types are a way to make PHP strongly typed (no adapting variables) to help make a PHP application “more correct” by forcing the variable’s type to stay the same. His example shows the creation of a few variables with these new methods and how they can be used, both correctly and incorrectly.

About php: I got karma to SPL_Types and added a new SplFloat() object, a few warning typos and more “flexible” strict modes for different types.

A bit about Spl_Types:

Q:What is SPL Types ?

A: It’s a way to make PHP Strongly typed.

Q: Why would you use that ?

A: To strong type your code! Meaning, enforcing a type of variable

<?php

$int = new SplInt(3);

$float = new Float(3.1412);

try {

    $int = 'string';

} catch (UnexpectedValueException $e) {

    echo $e->getMessage();

}

try {

    $float = 'More string values';

} catch (UnexpectedValueException $f) {

    echo $f->getMessage();

}

$float = 4; // This works btw   it becomes (float)4

// Etc etc etc...

echo $int;

echo $float;

echo '-' . $bool . '-';

// I will post a more detailed tutorial about it as soon as a few plans have been sorted,

// until then, you can use it if you feel like it  

// Imagine ...

$id = (int)$_GET['id'];

// And later on by inadvertance, some other developer decides to make that into something naughty like

// like $id = $_GET['id'] elsewhere, it becomes a security threat because if you initially casted to (int), it doesn't

// make it strict so one could overwrite it, whereas with SplInt($_GET['id']); you will not be able to overwrite it without

// throwing an exeception (to something else than an int of course. If that $_GET['id'] has been changed to

// something like ' or ''=', it will throw an exception, etc etc.

// I am sure some of you will make something usefull out of that..

?>

Enjoy!