Overloading methods with types in PHP 8.0 and above. The way it should be.

Since PHP 7.4 we have types and I have feeling I was programming in languages like Java or C# which is really nice but then I noticed I can’t overload my methods way I used to in other projects with typed languages.

Solutions given on StackOverflow are unacceptable so I was thinking how to overload methods in most efficient and clean way and made library to support it. I want to share it with you because it’s best You could find. You can get it on GitHub and learn more.

I think short snippet of code beneath is sufficient to understand how does it work.

$userRepository = new UserRepository();
$userRepository->add('Micheal', 'Jordan', 23);
$userRepository->add('Micheal Jordan', 23);
$userRepository->add(new User("Micheal", "Jordan", 23));
$userRepository->add(new Player("Micheal", "Jordan", 23));
$userRepository->add(['fist_name' => 'Micheal', 'last_name' => 'Jordan', 'number' => 23]);

public function add(mixed ...$args): void
{
        $addMethodOverloader = MethodOverloader::create($this)
        ->register($this->addByFirstNameLastNameAndNumber(...),'string', 'string', 'int')
        ->register($this->adddByUser(...), User::class)
        ->register($this->addByPlayer(...), Player::class)
        ->register($this->addByArray(...), 'array')
        ->register($this->addNyNameAndNumber(...), 'string', 'int')
        ->onFailure(function() {
            throw new MyCustomException();
        });

    $addMethodOverloader->invoke($args);
}

It's my first post so please let me know if it's ok. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Comments

[david duymelinck]

I tend to follow the python mantra to make code explicit. So in my view overloading methods is a design failure, because it makes the input of a method more opaque.

If you have data that has multiple forms use a DTO to handle the conversion, and use the DTO as method input.

A tip for the code blocks, add php after the first ticks, this Will highlight the code. Making it more readable.

[michalczerski]

I was thinking about example how to show possibility of overloading 2 custom user class by type. Thank you for your feedback.