If you are using aliasing to import namespaced classes, take care that class_exists will not work using the short, aliased class name - apparently whenever a class name is used as string, only the full-namespace version can be used
use a\namespaced\classname as coolclass;
class_exists( 'coolclass' ) => false
class_exists
(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7, PHP 8)
class_exists — Checks if the class has been defined
Description
This function checks whether or not the given class has been defined.
Parameters
-
class -
The class name. The name is matched in a case-insensitive manner.
-
autoload -
Whether to autoload if not already loaded.
Return Values
Returns true if class is a defined class,
false otherwise.
Examples
Example #1 class_exists() example
<?php
// Check that the class exists before trying to use it
if (class_exists('MyClass')) {
$myclass = new MyClass();
}
?>Example #2 autoload parameter example
<?php
spl_autoload_register(function ($class_name) {
include $class_name . '.php';
// Check to see whether the include declared the class
if (!class_exists($class_name, false)) {
throw new LogicException("Unable to load class: $class_name");
}
});
if (class_exists(MyClass::class)) {
$myclass = new MyClass();
}
?>See Also
- function_exists() - Return true if the given function has been defined
- enum_exists() - Checks if the enum has been defined
- interface_exists() - Checks if the interface has been defined
- get_declared_classes() - Returns an array with the name of the defined classes
add a note
User Contributed Notes 9 notes
giunta dot gaetano at gmail dot com ¶
11 years ago
info at ensostudio dot ru ¶
4 years ago
Note: class_exists() check only classes!
<?php
interface DemoInterface {};
var_dump(class_exists('DemoInterface')); // false
trait DemoTrait {};
var_dump(class_exists('DemoTrait')); // false
class DemoClass {};
var_dump(class_exists('DemoClass')); // true
?>
Common function:
<?php
/**
* Checks if the class/trait/interface has been defined.
*
* @param string $name The case-insensitive name of class/trait/interface
* @param bool $autoload Whether to call spl_autoload()
* @return bool
*/
function structure_exists(string $name, bool $autoload = true): bool
{
return class_exists($name, $autoload)
|| interface_exists($name, $autoload)
|| trait_exists($name, $autoload);
}
?>
rn at alpha9marketing dot com ¶
10 years ago
Beware: class_exists is case-INsensitive, as is class instantiation.
php > var_dump(class_exists("DomNode"));
bool(true)
php > var_dump(class_exists("DOMNode"));
bool(true)
php > var_dump(class_exists("DOMNodE"));
bool(true)
php > $x = new DOMNOdE();
php > var_dump(get_class($x));
string(7) "DOMNode"
(tested with PHP 5.5.10 on Linux)
This can cause some headaches in correlating class names to file names, especially on a case-sensitive file system.
Klaus ¶
14 years ago
If you recursively load several classes inside an autoload function (or mix manual loading and autoloading), be aware that class_exists() (as well as get_declared_classes()) does not know about classes previously loaded during the *current* autoload invocation.
Apparently, the internal list of declared classes is only updated after the autoload function is completed.
spam at wikicms dot org ¶
10 years ago
Hi guys!
Be careful and don't forget about second boolean argument $autoload (TRUE by default) when check exists class after spl_autoload_register. Propose short example
file second.php
<?php
class Second {}
?>
file index.php
<?php
class First
{
function first($class, $bool) {
spl_autoload_register( function($class) {
require strtolower($class) . '.php';
});
echo class_exists($class, $bool)?'Exist!!!!':'Not exist!';
}
}
new First($class = 'Second', $bool = true); //Exist!!!!
new First($class = 'Second', $bool = false); //Not exist!
?>
Because __autoload executing much earlier than boolean returned, imho..
richard at richard-sumilang dot com ¶
16 years ago
[ >= PHP 5.3]
If you are checking if a class exists that is in a specific namespace then you have to pass in the full path to the class:
echo (class_exists("com::richardsumilang::common::MyClass")) ? "Yes" : "No";
anonymous at somewhere dot tld ¶
21 years ago
If you have a directory of classes you want to create. (Modules in my instance)... you can do it like that
<?php
if (is_dir($this->MODULE_PATH) && $dh = opendir($this->MODULE_PATH)) {
while (($file = readdir($dh)) !== false) {
if (preg_match("/(Mod[a-zA-Z0-9]+).php/", $file, $matches)>0) {
// include and create the class
require_once($this->MODULE_PATH."/".$file);
$modules[] = new $matches[1]();
}
}
} else {
exit;
}
?>
//---
Here the rule is that all modules are on the form
ModModulename.php and that the class has the same name as the file.
The $modules array has all the classes initialized after this code
toocoolone at gmail dot com ¶
12 years ago
I'm running PHP 5.3.4 on Windows 7 and had some difficulty autoloading classes using class_exists(). In my case, when I checked for the class and it didn't exist, class_exists automatically threw a system Exception. I was also throwing my own exception resulting in an uncaught exception.
<?php
/**
* Set my include path here
*/
$include_path = array( '/include/this/dir', '/include/this/one/too' );
set_include_path( $include_path );
spl_autoload_register();
/**
* Assuming I have my own custom exception handler (MyException) let's
* try to see if a file exists.
*/
try {
if( ! file_exists( 'myfile.php' ) ) {
throw new MyException('Doh!');
}
include( 'myfile.php' );
}
catch( MyException $e ) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
/**
* The above code either includes myfile.php or throws the new MyException
* as expected. No problem right? The same should be true of class_exists(),
* right? So then...
*/
$classname = 'NonExistentClass';
try {
if( ! class_exists( $classname ) ) {
throw new MyException('Double Doh!');
}
$var = new $classname();
}
catch( MyException $e ) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
/**
* Should throw a new instance of MyException. But instead I get an
* uncaught LogicException blah blah blah for the default Exception
* class AND MyException. I only catch MyException so we've got on
* uncaught resulting in the dreaded LogicException error.
*/
?>
By registering an additional autoload handler function that did nothing, I was able to stop throwing the extra Exception and only throw my own.
<?php
/**
* Set my include path here
*/
$include_path = array( '/include/this/dir', '/include/this/one/too' );
set_include_path( $include_path );
spl_autoload_register();
spl_autoload_register( 'myAutoLoad' ); // Add these two and no worries...
function myAutoLoad() {}
/**
* By registering the additional custom autoload function that does nothing
* class_exists() returns only boolean and does NOT throw an uncaught Exception
*/
?>
Found this buried in some search results. I don't remember the page URL but if it would have been here it might have saved me some time!
azrael dot com at gmail dot com ¶
15 years ago
If spl_autoload_register() had been called, then function will try autoload class if it does not exists.
Use instead
<?php
in_array($class_name, get_declared_classes());
?>
