PHP Array of (new) objects

Question

I'm currently developing a web-based administration frontend, for an application I developed, in PHP (after several failed attempts to get Lua working with Apache and Nginx being a little weird, too) and PHP's arrays are frustrating me.

I'm trying to initialize an array of objects as I would in any other OOP-capable language:

private $leftNavItems = array(
        new LeftNavItem("./img/icon/status.png", "status", "App Status", "./articles/app_status.phtml", "app_status")
    );

however, I'm getting an error stating "expression not allowed as field default value".

Why can I not initialize an array with new objects? Would I have to work around this by using temporary variables and array_push?

EDIT : I'm coming from OOP languages such as C#, Java and C++, as well as pure procedural languages such as Lua.

It's a class with a couple variables, a constructor, and a couple getters. — SimonC
– SimonC, Commented May 26, 2017 at 13:33
Possible duplicate of Expression is not allowed as field default value — Schleis
– Schleis, Commented May 26, 2017 at 13:33
Move the initialization part in the class' constructor __construct(). Object properties can be initialized on their definition only with values that can be evaluated during compilation. — axiac
– axiac, Commented May 26, 2017 at 13:35
@Schleis I disagree, I'm asking not just for a way to work around, but also why this is a constraint. Also, I'm attempting to create an array of new objects, not initialize a value in a class. — SimonC
– SimonC, Commented May 26, 2017 at 13:35

axiac · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-26 13:40:24Z

3

Move the initialization part in the class' constructor __construct(). Object properties can be initialized on their definition only with values that can be evaluated during compilation.

class X {
    private $leftNavItems = array();

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->leftNavItems = array(
            new LeftNavItem("./img/icon/status.png", "status", "App Status", "./articles/app_status.phtml", "app_status")
        );
    }
}

The initializers of the properties are evaluated during the compilation; they are not pieces of code to be executed when the class is initialized.

Your code attempts to initialize the variable by creating a object. Creating new objects is an activity that happens during the code execution.

answered May 26, 2017 at 13:40

axiac

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