PHP: method_exists

Description

bool method_exists ( object object, string method_name )

This function returns TRUE if the method given by method_name has been defined for the given object, FALSE otherwise.

Example 1. method_exists() example

<?php $directory = new Directory('.'); var_dump(method_exists($directory,'read')); ?>
The above example will output:
bool(true)

User Contributed Notes
method_exists

jpgiot at nospam ifrance.com
06-May-2004 09:42


a little difference :



to find a method of an object (instance of a class)



<?php

if (method_exists($myinstance,'themethod'))

    echo 'ok';

?>



to find a method of a class (using the class name, not the instance of the class!)



<?php

if (is_callable(array('theclassname','themethod')))

    echo 'ok';

?>

Thomas@ThBeckmann
31-Jan-2003 03:47


Though, as Bejamin noted, it's not possible to use the class name in method_exists within the class definition, get_class_methods delivers the method names for a given class name even inside the class. Thus another workaround for the mentioned problem is to use in_array(<method_name>, get_class_methods(<class_name>))

benjamin_ansbach at web dot de
27-Dec-2002 02:49


if you want to check for a method "inside" of a class use:



method_exists($this, 'function_name')



i was a bit confused 'cause i thought i'm only able to check for a method when i got an object like $object_name = new class_name() with: 



method_exists($object_name, 'method_name')



small example for those who didn't understood what i mean ( maybe caused by bad english :) ):



<?php



class a {



    function a() {

        

        if(method_exists($this, 'test'))

            echo 'a::test() exists!';

        else

            echo 'a::test() doesn\'t exists';



    }



    

    function test() {

        

        return true;

    

    }



}



$b = new a();



?>



the output will be: a::test() exists!



maybe this will help someone

j dot metzger at steptown dot com
16-Jan-2002 05:42


call_user_method uses the same mechanism as a normal method call. So you can get the returned values as well in this way.



$pagetext=call_user_method($method,$object_call); 



All information is then in $pagetext.