Posted by Richard Davey on 04/12/05 12:27

Hello Tim,

Tuesday, April 12, 2005, 10:07:44 AM, you wrote:

TB> I'm wondering, why does the toString() of classes have two underscored
TB> preceding it [e.g. __toString()], as opposed to Java's normal toString()?

TB> What's the purpose of the two underscores in PHP's classes?

The short answer: Because PHP isn't Java.

The long answer: Two underscores denote what PHP refers to as a "magic
method". You shouldn't have your own functions with the same names
(unless you require that magical functionality). Have a look in the
PHP manual under the "Magic Methods" section for more info / examples.

Best regards,

Richard Davey
--
http://www.launchcode.co.uk - PHP Development Services
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them." - Isaac Asimov

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