Questions tagged [magic-function]

Python magic functions

Magic methods in Python are the methods having two prefix and suffix underscores in the method name. These are commonly used for operator overloading. Built-in classes in Python define many magic methods. Few examples for magic methods are: __init__, __add__, __len__, __repr__ etc. Use the dir() function to see the number of magic methods inherited by a class. For example, the following lists all the attributes and methods defined in the int class.

>>> dir(int)

['__abs__', '__add__', '__and__', '__bool__', '__ceil__', '__class__', '__delattr__', '__dir__', '__divmod__', '__doc__', '__eq__', '__float__', '__floor__', '__floordiv__', '__format__', '__ge__', '__getattribute__', '__getnewargs__', '__gt__', '__hash__', '__index__', '__init__', '__init_subclass__', '__int__', '__invert__', '__le__', '__lshift__', '__lt__', '__mod__', '__mul__', '__ne__', '__neg__', '__new__', '__or__', '__pos__', '__pow__', '__radd__', '__rand__', '__rdivmod__', '__reduce__', '__reduce_ex__', '__repr__', '__rfloordiv__', '__rlshift__', '__rmod__', '__rmul__', '__ror__', '__round__', '__rpow__', '__rrshift__', '__rshift__', '__rsub__', '__rtruediv__', '__rxor__', '__setattr__', '__sizeof__', '__str__', '__sub__', '__subclasshook__', '__truediv__', '__trunc__', '__xor__', 'bit_length', 'conjugate', 'denominator', 'from_bytes', 'imag', 'numerator', 'real', 'to_bytes']

When we add two numbers using the + operator. the __add__ method is a magic method which gets called.

PHP magic functions

Magic methods in PHP are named with double underscore (__) as prefix. All these function names are reserved and can't be used for any purpose other than associated magical functionality. Magical method in a class must be declared public. Few examples for magic methods are:

__construct()
__destruct()
__call($fun, $arg)
__callStatic($fun, $arg)
__get($property)
__set($property, $value)
__isset($content)
__unset($content)
__sleep()
__wakeup()
__toString()
__invoke()
__set_state($array)
__clone()
__debugInfo()