Can We Programmatically Retrieve PHP Function Source Code?

Extracting PHP Function Source Code Programmatically

Can we programmatically obtain the source code associated with a specified function's name? Consider the following scenario:

function blah($a, $b) { return $a*$b; }
echo getFunctionCode("blah");

Is such an operation achievable? Are there any PHP functions that allow us to reconstruct function or class code without directly accessing the source file?

Reflecting Upon the Function

The ReflectionFunction class provides a solution to this query. It empowers us to introspect and retrieve information about functions, including their executable code. Here's an example of how it could be used:

$func = new ReflectionFunction('myfunction');
$filename = $func->getFileName();
$start_line = $func->getStartLine() - 1; // Adjust for index-based lines
$end_line = $func->getEndLine();
$length = $end_line - $start_line;

$source = file($filename);
$body = implode("", array_slice($source, $start_line, $length));
print_r($body);

This code retrieves the function's source code, which can then be printed or manipulated in the same way as any other string. The ReflectionFunction class offers a comprehensive set of methods for extracting detailed information about functions, enabling developers to dynamically analyze and modify PHP code.

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