Defining a function with name from a variable?

Question

I need to create a column-system for Wordpress with shortcodes, which is not a problem, but I'm trying to make it with less code.

I have an array with the data needed, I loop through it, create a unique-named function and set it as shortcode-function. The third step is a mystery. How can I create a function from a variable.

Here's an example, how it should be done:

$data[] = "first";
$data[] = "second";
foreach($data as $key => $value) {
    function $value($atts,$content) {
        return '<div class="'.$value.'">'.$content.'</div>';
    }
    add_shortcode($value,$value);
}

However, it seems that it's not possible to make it work like that in PHP. Is there any way to make this work, as I would not want to write all the (identical) functions separated. I could make the shortcode something like [col first]text[/col] but the client wants to have different names for every one of them.

RobertPitt · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-04 20:05:34Z

5

you can use the double dollar syntax to use the value of a variable as a variable identifier,

Example:

$variable = "test";
$$variable = "value of test"

echo $test; //or echo $$variable;

I have never tried but you way want to try:

foreach($data as $key => $value)
{
    function $$value($atts,$content)
    {
    }
    add_shortcode($value,$value);
}

or a function like create_function

if your using PHP 5.3 or greater then you can do something like so:

$$value = function()
{

}

which should work fine

answered Dec 4, 2010 at 20:05

RobertPitt

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2 Comments

ajreal Over a year ago

create function prefix with $ is still not allowed in PHP. And for lamda-style, is not exactly using the $value as function name, is rather to let PHP to decide an unique name

RobertPitt Over a year ago

Yea i haven't tried the function name technique, as for the lambda style, that should work on 5.3

mario · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-04 20:37:11Z

0

I'm not sure how WP invocates the functions, but if it uses call_user_func then you might cheat by using an object with virtual methods:

class fake_functions {
    function __call($name, $params) {
        return '<div class="'.$name.'">'.$params[1].'</div>';
    }
}

$obj = new fake_functions();
foreach ($data as $value) {
    add_shortcode($value, array($obj,$value));
}

answered Dec 4, 2010 at 20:37

mario

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