PHP - Prepending Function Name with Variable

Question

I'm in the middle of creating a fairly large system that incorporates many different files (about 300 at this point). I've created a file to hold various user-defined functions.

I've begun to think that it would have been best to add a prefix to each function name so as to not have an inadvertent conflict with a previously defined function. For example...

My Function: function add_value()
With Prefix: function PREFIX_add_value()

For the PREFIX_ part I was thinking I could create a variable so the prefix could be easily changed in the future if necessary. So, maybe something like this...

$func_prefix = 'package_name';
function $func_prefix . add_value()

This doesn't work though.

So, is there a best practice about how to name/prepend functions so as to avoid conflicts within a system with many files?

BTW, I have PHP 5.2.17 on my shared hosting plan.

Answer 1

Usage:

<?php

$func_prefix = 'package_name'; 
$name = $func_prefix . '_add_value';
$name();// call package_name_add_value();

Answer 2

You are trying to solve a problem that need not exist. You are not the first to come across this problem, and many paradigms have been created. This is the world of software design.

I mean this with the best intent, but if you have a project of 300 files, and have asked this question without considering an Object Oriented approach, then the only positive I can give you is that one day you will look back on this project with a slight amount of disbelief.

I would suggest that you learn and Object Oriented programming at a basic level. Java, C++, PHP, it won't matter, but read and experiment. And then consider what 'objects' you can identify in your project.

Namespaces exist to prevent conflict, but don't worry too much about that right now. I suspect that if you build the correct objects in your code , your conflicts may disappear.

That said, the following code, albeit 'ugly', should go towards solving your problem

function file1_foo(){
    ....
}

$prefix = 'file1_';
$function = $prefix.'foo';
$function();