DEV Community

Cover image for Exploring stdClass in PHP
Al Amin
Al Amin

Posted on • Edited on

Exploring stdClass in PHP

#php #oop #programming

Ever encountered scenarios in PHP where creating objects dynamically without adhering to a predefined class structure was the need of the hour? Enter stdClass – PHP's versatile, blank canvas for on-the-fly object creation!

Here's how stdClass comes to the rescue:

What is stdClass?

stdClass is a handy feature to create a regular class in PHP. It is a predefined 'empty' class used as a utility class to cast objects of other types. It has no parents, properties, or methods. It also does not support magic methods and does not implement any interfaces.[Source educative]

1️⃣ Dynamic Object Creation:

With stdClass, you can fashion objects without the constraints of a defined class, perfect for holding arbitrary data.
php

$person = new stdClass();
$person->name = 'John Doe';
$person->age = 30;
$person->email = 'john@example.com';
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2️⃣ JSON Handling:

When dealing with dynamic JSON structures, decoding JSON strings into PHP objects using json_decode with stdClass proves incredibly handy.
php

$jsonString = '{"name":"Alice","age":25,"email":"alice@example.com"}';
$personObj = json_decode($jsonString);
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3️⃣ Dynamic Data Interaction:

Working with fluctuating data from external sources like APIs? stdClass allows seamless property assignment for versatile data handling.
php

$apiData = fetchDataFromApi();

$apiObject = new stdClass();
foreach ($apiData as $key => $value) {
  $apiObject->$key = $value;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4️⃣ Dynamic Object Returns:

Functions or methods can effortlessly return dynamic objects using stdClass.
php

function createDynamicObject() {
  $dynamicObj = new stdClass();
  $dynamicObj->property1 = 'value1';
  $dynamicObj->property2 = 'value2';
  return $dynamicObj;
}

$result = createDynamicObject();
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

While stdClass offers flexibility in ad-hoc object creation, it lacks the robustness of class-based OOP. It's ideal for immediate use cases where object structure and behavior remain fluid.

Harness the simplicity and versatility of stdClass for your dynamic PHP needs!

Top comments (10)

Collapse
 
joolsmcfly profile image
Julien Dephix •

Hi.

To increase readability you should surround code snippets with triple backticks (add php after the opening backticks for syntax coloring).

function createDynamicObject() {
    $dynamicObj = new stdClass();
    $dynamicObj->property1 = 'value1';
    $dynamicObj->property2 = 'value2';
    return $dynamicObj;
}

$result = createDynamicObject();
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
Collapse
 
dev-alamin profile image
Al Amin •

Thank you @joolsmcfly for your great suggestion. I am really happy to join here. Keep supporting me.

I would even be more happy if you just give me a screenshot for syntax coloring.

Collapse
 
joolsmcfly profile image
Julien Dephix •

Image description

Thread Thread
 
joolsmcfly profile image
Julien Dephix •

which renders as

$user = new stdClass();
$user->something= 12;
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
Thread Thread
 
dev-alamin profile image
Al Amin •

Awesome.
Thank you so much.

Collapse
 
joolsmcfly profile image
Julien Dephix • • Edited

If you could add an example on how to convert a stdClass to a defined class it would be even better.

// let's say you get an array of stdClass objects
$users = fetchUsersFromApi();

// change stdClass to User class
return array_map(function($user) {
    return User::createFromApi($user);
}, $users);
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Now rest of your code knows it's dealing with an array of User objects and you've unlocked type hinting, autocompletion etc.

Collapse
 
dev-alamin profile image
Al Amin •

Thank you for explaining it further. Love it.

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture •

Hello. Not sure it's a good idea to use dynamic properties (see php.watch/versions/8.2/dynamic-pro...). It's perhaps still working for stdClass (not tried) but, yes, you should probably avoid this use case for ever.

Collapse
 
dev-alamin profile image
Al Amin •

Thank you.
I will look into this.

Collapse
 
e00001 profile image
e1 •

Alternatively, instead of

function createDynamicObject() {
  $dynamicObj = new stdClass();
  $dynamicObj->property1 = 'value1';
  $dynamicObj->property2 = 'value2';
  return $dynamicObj;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

you could just write

function createDynamicObject() {
  return (object) [
    'property1' => 'value1',
    'property2' => 'value2',
  ];
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

which is also a way of creating a stdClass() instance.

Read next

saidmounaim profile image

Next.js 15 Form Component: A Beginner's Guide

Said MOUNAIM -

alexis_clarembeau_8c3c0e2 profile image

How are responsive websites doing in 2024?

Alexis Clarembeau -

gravgor profile image

Unlock Rich Landmark Data with the Landmark API: Features, Usage, and More

Marceli Borowczak -

viradiaharsh profile image

Introducing the AWS CDK L2 Construct: Simplified Security for Amazon CloudFront with Origin Access Control (OAC)

Harsh Viradia -