flexable autoload

[jgetner]

this is an autoload class that i plan to submit to phpclasses as they seem to be lacking in the area of autoloading. So please give me some good feedback on how to improve this simple class.

this class is self contained meaning requires nothing else to work...

 class Loader
{
    private $root = FRAMEWORK;

private static $_paths = array();

public static function Add_Path($filename , $path , $overwrite = FALSE)
{	
	if($overwrite === FALSE)
	{
		if(!isset(self::$_paths[$filename]))
		{
			self::$_paths[$filename] = str_replace('\\' , '/' , $path);
			return;
		}

		else
		{
			return(FALSE);
		}
	}

	else
	{
		self::$_paths[$filename] = str_replace('\\' , '/' , $path);
		return;
	}

	return(FALSE);
}

protected static function Request_Path($filename)
{
	if(isset(self::$_paths[$filename]))
	{
		return self::$_paths[$filename];
	}

	return(FALSE);
}



protected static function Framework_Build_Path($filename)
{
	self::Validate_Filename(ucfirst(strtolower($filename)));
	if(file_exists(self::$root . ucfirst(strtolower($filename)) . EXT))
	{
	   self::Add_Path(ucfirst(strtolower($filename)) , self::$root . ucfirst(strtolower($filename)) . EXT);
	}

	else
	{
		throw new Loader_Exception('Autoload Error: ' . ucfirst(strtolower($filename)) . ' Could Not Be Located');
	}
}

public static function autoload($classname)
{

	self::Validate_Filename($classname);
	if(class_exists($classname , FALSE) or interface_exists($classname , FALSE))
	{
		return;
	}

	elseif(self::Request_Path(ucfirst(strtolower($classname))) !== FALSE)
	{
		require_once(self::Request_Path(ucfirst(strtolower($classname))));
	}

	else
	{
		self::Framework_Build_Path($classname);
		require_once(self::Request_Path(ucfirst(strtolower($classname))));
	}
}  


public static function Validate_Filename($filename)
{
	$validated_filename = preg_match('/[^0-9a-z\.\_\-]/i' , $filename);
	if($validated_filename !== $filename)
	{
		return(TRUE);
	}

	else
	{
		throw new Loader_Exception('Validation Error: The Filename' . $filename . 'Is Not A Valid Filename');
	}

	return(FALSE);
}

}


class Loader_Exception extends Exception{

}

?>

[NogDog]

Where are the FRAMEWORK and EXT constants set? In general, you don't want a class to depend on something that exists outside of the class. Maybe they should be class constants?

What is the purpose of enforcing your arbitrary restriction on characters that can be used in a file name and making it ucfirst()? What if I name my classes "Xxx_YyyÉéé.php"?

Add PHPDoc style comments for each method and class variable, as well as for each class, at a minimum including a brief description for each, @var tag/value for each class variable, and @return and @ tag/value for each method. Not only do the comments help users to read your code and modify as necessary, but many editors/IDEs pick them up for tool-tip type help.

You might want to assume or provide an option for PEAR naming conventions where underscores in the class name would be converted to "/" in the path.

[jgetner]

well for the defined constants they should not be there i thought i removed them all lastnight but guessing not...

well for the file naming conventions i thought of leaving it alone and what ever the user plans to use is there choice, but i think we all need standards and one of my big standards i have is to follow a uppercase naming convention witch i feel separates my classes and standards from lets say php or other frameworks..(not all of them).

comments are coming.

and i will look into the PEAR conventions as zend follows much of the same rules but i do not know on such a convention just yet on such a simple class.