Strategy to rename the require_once function?

Question

Rather than just writing a new function called import() i'd like to know if there's a better solution. Otherwise require_once would be included in the scope of import() only, which is bad for any "global" variable there.

My import() function would work differently than require_once, but serves the same purpose (enhanced usability).

Answer 1

My gut instict opinion: Nah. Don't do it.

• A language has its native set of functions. Why introduce a proprietary function that has no added value.

• I don't think there is reason to be scared off by require_once().

• I agree with you, using globals is not a great thing, but sacrificing the possibility of using them for a vanity function name is not a good way to go.

If paths are what you're worried about, then why not write an import() function that returns the correct path. Like so:

require_once import("operations.php");

the only - in my eyes not so horrible - downside is that you only have to make sure that import always returns a correct path to something, otherwise require_once will crash. Other than that, it has the same comfort, allows you to control paths as you wish, but doesn't cost you anything in terms of flexibility.

Answer 2

I don't know about you and your team but I've never met a PHP developer "scared off" by require/include - that's just the way the language works.

If you're scared off by such things perhaps you should be using another language.

And what you're proposing sounds like a maintainence nightmare.

Answer 3

You could cut down on the number of require calls by creating an import function and attaching it to a class. So after requiring the framework once, users could then use the import function for including other framework classes. To wit:

index.php:

require_once 'MyFramework.php';
MyFramework::import('Path/To/File.php');

MyFramework.php

class MyFramework {
 static function import($path) {
   // code to include/import the path
 }   
}

Another option would be to use the PHP's auto_load semantics to automatically require framework classes:

http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.autoload.php

Though at the end of the day you can't really replace the require/include statements, short of editing the PHP source.

Answer 4

You could possibly get something similar to what you're after by using __autoload(). Then you could just use whatever class you want, without requireing it, and so long as its file is in your include_path it will be loaded without trouble.

(This of course assumes that the file you're trying to include has a class in it, and that the class and its file are named according to some convention. Probably that's not actually the case.)

This is a pretty standard autoloader, that works with Zend- and Pear-style naming conventions:

<?php
/**
 * Load (include the file of) a given PHP class.
 *
 * @param string $class The name of the class to load.
 *
 * @return void
 */

function __autoload($class)
{
    $files = array(
        $class . '.php',
        str_replace('_', '/', $class) . '.php',
    );
    foreach (explode(PATH_SEPARATOR, ini_get('include_path')) as $base_path) {
        foreach ($files as $file) {
            $path = "$base_path/$file";
            if (file_exists($path) && is_readable($path)) {
                include_once $path;
                $finalPath = $path;
            }
        }
    }
    if (isset($finalPath)) {
        return;
    } else {
        die("Unable to load class '$class'.");
    }
}
?>