What are Magic Methods:

Magic methods in PHP are special methods that are automatically called in certain situations, providing functionality that is not directly implemented by the programmer. These methods are identified by their double underscores (__) prefix.

Here are some commonly used magic methods in PHP:

1.__construct():

The constructor method is called automatically when an object is created. It is used to initialize object properties and perform setup tasks.

2.__destruct():

The destructor method is called automatically when an object is destroyed or goes out of scope. It is used to release resources or perform cleanup tasks.

3.__toString():

This method is called automatically when an object is used in a string context (e.g., when it is echoed or concatenated with a string). It should return a string representation of the object.

4.__get($name) and __set($name, $value)**:

These methods are called when an attempt is made to access or set a property that is not accessible or does not exist. They provide a way to implement dynamic properties.

5.__call($name, $arguments) and __callStatic($name, $arguments):

These methods are called when an attempt is made to call a method that is not accessible or does not exist. They provide a way to implement dynamic method calls.

6.__isset($name) and __unset($name):

These methods are called when isset() or unset() is used on inaccessible or non-existent properties. They provide a way to implement custom behavior for property isset and unset operations.

7.__clone():

The __clone() method is called when an object is cloned using the clone keyword. It allows you to customize the behavior of cloning an object.

8.__invoke():

This method is called when an object is used as a function. It allows objects to be treated as callable.

Example:

<?php

class MyClass {

    private $data = [];

    public function __construct($data) {

        $this->data = $data;

    }

    public function __toString() {

        return json_encode($this->data);

    }

    public function __get($name) {

        return isset($this->data[$name]) ? $this->data[$name] : null;

    }

    public function __set($name, $value) {

        $this->data[$name] = $value;

    }

}

$obj = new MyClass(['name' => 'John', 'age' => 30]);

echo $obj; // Output: {"name":"John","age":30}

echo $obj->name; // Output: John

$obj->city = 'New York';

echo $obj->city; // Output: New York

?>

In this example, the magic methods __construct(), __toString(), __get(), and __set() are used to provide custom behavior for object initialization, string conversion, property access, and property assignment, respectively.

Magic methods are a powerful feature in PHP that allows you to implement dynamic behavior and customize the behavior of objects and classes in various situations. They provide a way to make your code more expressive, flexible, and intuitive.