How Can I Call PHP Functions and Methods Dynamically Using Variable Strings?

Dynamic Function Calls from Variable Strings

In situations where the name of the function you want to call is stored in a variable, you might wonder how to execute that function without specifying its name directly. Here's how to achieve this:

1. Variable Function Name Invocation (Simple Case):

If the variable contains the function name as a string, you can append parentheses to the variable and call it as if it's a regular function:

<?php
$functionName = "foo";
$functionName(); // Calls the "foo" function
?>

2. Variable Function Name Invocation with Parameters:

To pass parameters to the function, you can use the call_user_func() function:

<?php
$functionName = "foo";
$args = array("argument 1", "argument 2");
call_user_func($functionName, ...$args); // Calls the "foo" function with the arguments
?>

3. Dynamic Object Method Invocation:

You can also create an object dynamically and call its methods using variable strings:

<?php
$className = "DateTime";
$methodName = "format";
$instance = new $className();
echo $instance->$methodName('d-m-Y'); // Calls the "format" method on a "DateTime" object
?>

4. Dynamic Static Method Invocation:

Similarly, you can invoke static methods of a class dynamically:

<?php
$className = "DateTime";
$staticMethodName = "createFromFormat";
echo call_user_func(array($className, $staticMethodName), 'd-m-Y', '17-08-2023'); // Calls the "createFromFormat" static method of the "DateTime" class
?>

Using variable strings to call functions or methods dynamically provides flexibility and allows you to dynamically adjust your code's execution based on certain conditions or user input.

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