Inline PHP clone

Question

When trying to do this in PHP 5.2.9:

$foo = (clone $template)->bar();

PHP gives me a syntax error:

Parser error "';' expected after expression (Found token: ->)"

Am I doing something wrong? or is there simply no way to clone an object inline, such that I would have to split my statement into two lines?

Ratify

I don't remember details, but older versions of PHP had trouble with some expressions related to object properties. Maybe this was one of them? Can you upgrade your version of PHP? – Inconsistent

@Inconsistent Same problem with newer PHP versions but error is different. – Skees

PHP 7 now supports this 3v4l.org/D5Vd9 – Dickson

Answer 1

Unfortunately, PHP does not allow that syntax (in any version). As an alternative to breaking it into two lines, you can do this:

$foo = call_user_func(array(clone $template, 'bar'));

Furred

Too bad, I thought PHP had overcome those oddities by version 5. I'll consider the call_user_function version ;-) – Ratify

I don't think there is any other way to one-line this. Or if there is, I don't know what it is :) – Furred

Here's to hoping this gets added in PHP 7. – Gershwin

Answer 2

class X {
    public function foo(){
        echo 'inline clone';
    }
}

$x = new X;

$y = clone $x and $y->foo(); // "inline clone"

Univalence

Answer 3

This would be available only from PHP 5.4.0

Reading changelog:

Added class member access on instantiation (e.g. (new foo)->bar()) support.

Hypocaust

Unfortunately, this syntax only works with new. It does not work with clone eval.in/123192 :( – Furred

Answer 4

As a workaround you could create a function to clone a variable:

$clone = function ($value) {
    return clone $value;
};

$foo = $clone($template);

Ostler

Answer 5

$newObject = (clone $objectToClone);

(Wont work in older verions of PHP, ok in 7.something+ though)

Cosignatory