While using an "autoloading" method you should pay attention to variables scope. Because of new file will be included INSIDE of magic function __autoload - all of declared in such file global scope variables will be only available within this function and nowhere else. This will cause strange behaviour in some cases. For example:
file bar.class.php:
<?php
$somedata = 'Some data'; class bar {
function __construct()
{
global $somedata; if ( isset($somedata) )
{
var_dump($somedata);
}
else
{
die('No data!');
}
}
}
?>
Attempt to load this file in common way:
<?php
require 'bar.class.php';
$foo = new bar();
?>
this will output (as expected):
string(9) "Some data"
But in case of __autoload:
<?php
function __autoload($classname)
{
require $classname . '.class.php';
}
$foo = new bar();
?>
you could expect that this script will return the same but no, it will return "No data!", because defenition of $somedata after requiring treats as local within user-defined function __autoload().
