PHP: $this->something abbreviation for easier developer notation

Question

I'm writting some kind of application in PHP, where developer can write his own plugins. As for now, to each plugin constructor object $project is passed as argument (by reference of course). For example new plugin looks like this:

<?php

namespace Plugins;

class newPlugin {
    private $project;
    public function __construct(\Project $project) {
        $this->project = $project;
    }

    public function Something() {
        echo $this->project->template->name();
    }

}

?>

I'm rewriting it, so every new plugin extends "standart" plugin. In that case, I can make a standart constructor which save passed $project locally as $this->project, and developer has less to write. But then, every developer must remember, that there is something like $this->project...

For example:

<?php

namespace Plugins;

class newPlugin extends Plugin { // constructor is now in plugin class

    public function Something() {
        echo $this->project->template->name(); 
        // where should the developer know from that $this->project exists?
    }

}

?>

Can I make the notation easier somehow? Abbreviate $this->project? I though about making a method project() in parent that will return $this->project. In that case only project()->template->name(); can be used. But this is... Simply not the best I think.

I hope everything is clear in my question, if not please ask in comment. I searched for possible answers, but found nothing.

PHP "use" is great, but only for namespaces...

BTW, there are many, many other variables under $this->project available, but the beginning $this->project is always the same. For example: $this->project->template->name(); $this->project->router->url(); $this->project->page->title(); etc... This naming standart was imposed, so there is no way to change it.

But this is really annoying when you must write $this->project every time you need a simple variable from somewhere.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Here is sketched simple version of your project using __get() overloading:

<?php

class Template
{
  public function name()
  {
    return 'Template';
  }
}

class Project
{
  public $template;

  public function __construct(Template $template)
  {
    $this->template = $template;
  }
}

class Plugin
{
  public $project;

  public function __construct(Project $project)
  {
    $this->project = $project;
  }

  // here it is. It will be called, if $template property doesn't exist in this Plugin.
  public function __get($val)
  {
    return $this->project->$val;
  }
}

class newPlugin extends Plugin { // constructor is now in plugin class

    public function Something() {
        echo $this->template->name(); // using this we will call __get() method because $template property doesn't exist. It will be transformed to $this->project->template->name();
    }
}

$template = new Template();
$project = new Project($template);
$plugin = new newPlugin($project);

$plugin->Something();

Output:

Template