global array or object(without class)

Hi

i came across config file of moodle and saw that most of the code in config is as follows


/// Moodle Configuration File

unset($CFG);

$CFG->dbtype = 'mysql';
$CFG->dbhost = 'localhost';
$CFG->dbname = 'moodle';
$CFG->dbuser = 'user';
$CFG->dbpass = 'pass';
$CFG->dbpersist = false;
$CFG->prefix = '';

$CFG->wwwroot = 'http://moodle.local';
$CFG->dirroot = 'C:\eclipsepdt\workspace\moodle';
$CFG->dataroot = 'C:\eclipsepdt\workspace\moodle\moodledata';
$CFG->admin = 'admin';

$CFG->directorypermissions = 00777; // try 02777 on a server in Safe Mode

$CFG->passwordsaltmain = '@#$!%^&!@etLflh4+3Q?}@3)(~=LkS[2RfpOezD';

require_once("$CFG->dirroot/lib/setup.php");
// MAKE SURE WHEN YOU EDIT THIS FILE THAT THERE ARE NO SPACES, BLANK LINES,
// RETURNS, OR ANYTHING ELSE AFTER THE TWO CHARACTERS ON THE NEXT LINE.



in another package config settings were like




$config[dbtype] = 'mysql';
$config[dbhost] = 'localhost';
$config[dbname] = 'project';
$config[dbuser] = 'user';
$config[dbpass] = 'pass';
$config[dbpersist] = false;
$config[prefix] = '';



i have used code like second example but i have never seen code like first example. from the look it is object but it is without class and i see no difference in using associative array instead of this.

am i missing something?

i checked php manual but could not find answer.

please guide me in right direction

thanks

The first is object based, though I'm not sure how it actually works since the first line is to destroy the variable $CFG. $CFG is an instance of an object, if I had to guess it would probably be called Config or something similar for its classname.
Objects have a benefit, they can be controlled. Unlike array's, you can force you're objects to reject random stuff (by default, they do not, you need to override the __set method to throw an exception). This is to retain backwards compatibility with PHP4.

Objects have a slightly stronger approach; with PHP's datatype weakness arrays and objects are the only two things that can be controlled in functions / methods parameter signatures. This is a huge advantage. As stated above though, arrays cannot be guaranteed to contain what is expected, unlike a class.

function doSomethingWithArray(array $a)
{
// Do something with an array. We don't know whats in it though, so we need to check
// each offset individually
}

function doSomethingWithObject(IConfiguration $config)
{
// This throws an exception if the provided argument is not a type of IConfiguration.
// Interfaces and classes guarantee what we expect, so we don't need to check.
}

Thanks for the reply. now picture is more clear.