Find last child class

gistfile1.php[345]

<?php // This script is an example of how you can find the last item in a non-branching inheritance hierarchy

// Declaring classes
class food {}
class cheese extends food {}
class cheddar extends cheese {}
class white_cheddar extends cheddar {}

// Finds the last child in a non-branching inheritance hierarchy
function get_last_child($parent)
{
	$pool = array($parent => count(class_parents($parent)));
	foreach (get_declared_classes() as $class)
	{
		if (is_subclass_of($class, $parent))
			$pool[$class] = count(class_parents($class));
	}

	return array_search(max($pool), $pool);
}

// Creates a class at the end of a non-branching inheritance hierarchy
function define_child_class($class, $parent)
{
	eval($php='class '.$class.' extends '.get_last_child($parent).' {}');
	return class_exists($class) ? $class : FALSE;
}

// Testing
if ($class = define_child_class('glowing_cheddar', 'cheese'))
{
	echo '<h3>Parents of <code>'.$class.'</code>:</h3><pre>'.print_r(class_parents($class), TRUE).'</pre>';
}
else
{
	echo 'Failed.';
}