Existing columns vs. Null columns question

[GameboyHippo]

I have a get function that looks like this:

/**
* Magic function that gets properties
* @param mixed $var The property that should be retrieved
* @return mixed The value of the property. Returns null if property
doesn't exist
*/
function __get($var)
{
$special_properties = array('name');

if (!isset($this->data[$var]) && !in_array($var,$special_properties))
{
echo "Warning: $var is not a property for ".get_class($this)."!\n";
return null;
}
else{
switch ($var){
case 'name':
return $this->data['first_name'].' '.$this->data['last_name'];
break;
case 'office_phone':
case 'mobile_phone':
case 'other_phone':
return $this->to_phone_string($this->data[$var]);
break;
default:
return $this->data[$var];
}
}
}

Here's the question. Say I have a row in my database that has a null
value in the column other_phone. When it gets to the first if
statement !isset($this->data[$var]) it is going to evaluate to true
(in other words $this->data['office_phone'] is not set because it is
null). How do I evaluate if the column is merely not there instead of
not there or null?

[Captain Paralytic]

On 16 Oct, 14:46, GameboyHippo <[e-mail]:

I have a get function that looks like this:

/**
* Magic function that gets properties
* @param mixed $var The property that should be retrieved
* @return mixed The value of the property. Returns null if property
doesn't exist
*/
function __get($var)
{
$special_properties = array('name');

if (!isset($this->data[$var]) && !in_array($var,$special_properties))
{
echo "Warning: $var is not a property for ".get_class($this)."!\n";
return null;
}
else{
switch ($var){
case 'name':
return $this->data['first_name'].' '.$this->data['last_name'];
break;
case 'office_phone':
case 'mobile_phone':
case 'other_phone':
return $this->to_phone_string($this->data[$var]);
break;
default:
return $this->data[$var];
}
}
}

Here's the question. Say I have a row in my database that has a null
value in the column other_phone. When it gets to the first if
statement !isset($this->data[$var]) it is going to evaluate to true
(in other words $this->data['office_phone'] is not set because it is
null). How do I evaluate if the column is merely not there instead of
not there or null?

If $this->data['office_phone'] is set to NULL then I would expect !
isset($this->data[$var]) to evaluate to false, because !isset($this-

>data[$var]) IS set.

[Rik Wasmus]

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:46:07 +0200, GameboyHippo
<ja************@gmail.comwrote:

How do I evaluate if the column is merely not there instead of
not there or null?

http://nl2.php.net/manual/en/functio...key-exists.php
--
Rik Wasmus

[GameboyHippo]

On Oct 16, 9:11 am, Captain Paralytic <[e-mail]:

On 16 Oct, 14:46, GameboyHippo <[e-mail]:

I have a get function that looks like this:

/**
* Magic function that gets properties
* @param mixed $var The property that should be retrieved
* @return mixed The value of the property. Returns null if property
doesn't exist
*/
function __get($var)
{
$special_properties = array('name');

if (!isset($this->data[$var]) && !in_array($var,$special_properties))
{
echo "Warning: $var is not a property for ".get_class($this)."!\n";
return null;
}
else{
switch ($var){
case 'name':
return $this->data['first_name'].' '.$this->data['last_name'];
break;
case 'office_phone':
case 'mobile_phone':
case 'other_phone':
return $this->to_phone_string($this->data[$var]);
break;
default:
return $this->data[$var];
}
}
}

Here's the question. Say I have a row in my database that has a null
value in the column other_phone. When it gets to the first if
statement !isset($this->data[$var]) it is going to evaluate to true
(in other words $this->data['office_phone'] is not set because it is
null). How do I evaluate if the column is merely not there instead of
not there or null?

If $this->data['office_phone'] is set to NULL then I would expect !
isset($this->data[$var]) to evaluate to false, because !isset($this-

data[$var]) IS set.

I agree, however in practice, it doesn't work as expected. I'll check
out the other reply and see if that helps. Thanks!

[GameboyHippo]

On Oct 16, 9:19 am, "Rik Wasmus" <[e-mail]:

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:46:07 +0200, GameboyHippo

<[e-mail]:

How do I evaluate if the column is merely not there instead of
not there or null?

http://nl2.php.net/manual/en/functio...key-exists.php
--
Rik Wasmus

Sweet! array_key_exists works wonders! Thanks!