$stringVar::constant?

I'm trying to get a constant from a class, where the constant's name
is known, but the class name isn't. I want to do things this way
because I want classes to be able to define certain aspects for their
setup themselves.
>
For example: I have a situation where I have a script that can deal
with objects of one of several classes, but each class needs some
slightly different setup parameters. I'm currently taking care of
this with a switch statement, but i'd like to eliminate it if at all
possible. As it stands, my code is along the lines of:
>
$thisClass = 'FirstClass'; // Will come from an external source in
real life, validated of course!
>
switch ($thisClass)
{
case 'FirstClass' :
$val = 'first val';
break;
case 'SecondClass' :
$val = 'second val';
break;
case 'ThirdClass' :
$val = 'third val';
break;
// ...
}
>
echo ($val);
>
I'd rather do something along the lines of
>
class FirstClass
{
const VAL = 'First val';
}
//...
>
echo ($thisClass::VAL);
>
I'm guessing that there is some function that returns a class from a
string, but I can't find it. Can anyone help out here?

>Gordon wrote:>
>
>Not real nice, but it can be done...
>
><?php
>
>class FirstClass {
const VAL = 'First val';
>}
>
>class SecondClass {
const VAL = 'Second val';
>}
>
>$cname = 'FirstClass';
>$str = $cname . '::VAL;';
>eval('echo ' . $str . ';');
>echo "\n";
>
>$cname = 'SecondClass';
>$str = $cname . '::VAL;';
>eval('echo ' . $str . ';');
>echo "\n";
>
>?>
>
>Outputs
>
>First val
>Second val
>
>But I don't like it :-)

.oO(Jerry Stuckle)
>
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Neither do I. According to the manual this
>
echo $thisClass::VAL;
>
should become possible with PHP 5.3. Until then the Reflection API might
be another option, but I haven't tried it.
>
Micha

>I'm trying to get a constant from a class, where the constant's name
>is known, but the class name isn't. I want to do things this way
>because I want classes to be able to define certain aspects for their
>setup themselves.
>
>For example: I have a situation where I have a script that can deal
>with objects of one of several classes, but each class needs some
>slightly different setup parameters. I'm currently taking care of
>this with a switch statement, but i'd like to eliminate it if at all
>possible. As it stands, my code is along the lines of:
>
>$thisClass = 'FirstClass'; // Will come from an external source in
>real life, validated of course!
>
>switch ($thisClass)
>{
case 'FirstClass' :
$val = 'first val';
break;
case 'SecondClass' :
$val = 'second val';
break;
case 'ThirdClass' :
$val = 'third val';
break;
// ...
>}
>
>echo ($val);
>
>I'd rather do something along the lines of
>
>class FirstClass
>{
const VAL = 'First val';
>}
>//...
>
>echo ($thisClass::VAL);
>
>I'm guessing that there is some function that returns a class from a
>string, but I can't find it. Can anyone help out here?