Observer Design Pattern

Overview
Objective Learn how to use the observer design pattern.

Requirements

Basics of ProdigyView
Estimated Time
8 minutes

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Follow Along With Code Example

1. Download a copy of the example code at
www.prodigyview.com/source.

2. Install the system in an environment you feel

comfortable testing in.

3. Proceed to examples/design/Observers.php

What Are Observers

Observers are a design pattern, most commonly used in event driven programming, where an object has a list of observers and the observers are notified of a state change. A simpler explanation would be when a function is executed, a list of other functions is automatically executed.

Observers Visual
MyObject::doSomething

Method doSomething executes. Notify observers execution has taken place.

Output

PVPatterns and PVStaticPatterns

The classes that contain the methods for using observers is the PVPatterns and PVStaticPatterns classes. PVPatterns is for instances and PVStaticPatterns is for static methods. Both PVObject and PVStaticObject extend the pattern classes.

Let's Begin
In our example, we are going to pretend you want to integrate a function with social media. So lets start by making two social media classes. Keep note that in our example, one of our classes has a static method.
The argument passed from the method observed

Messenger Object
Now we are going create a class that has the ability to send messages to objects that are observing this method.
Extends PVObject Implements the ability to call observers

The name of the event that observrs look for

Value passed to objects that are observing

Take Notice!
1. Our class extends PVObject. PVObject extends
PVPatterns which has our methods needed to use the observer. The method that will notify other methods than an action has occurred is _notify().

2. The method notify has the parameter 'new_message'.

This is the name of the event that is going to cause the notifications. After the event name, we can add as many parameters as we want but in this example we are only adding one, the message.

Round 1
The first test we are going to do is just sending a message without adding an observer. So lets initialize the object and send a message.

Result
The result here will be very simple.

Round 2
Now lets attach our observers. At minimum, the observer requires 3 arguments. The first argument is the name of the event. Our event name has to match to event name set in the notifier, which is 'new_message'. The second argument is the class to be called and the third is the method in the class to be called when the event is executed The last is options, namely for if our method is not static, apply the 'instance option here. Code example on next slide =>

Attach the Observers

Event Name Class to call Method in class to call Call an instance of an object

Event Name

Class to call

Method in class to call

And the output.

Challenge!
Below is an optional challenge to perform that is designed to help you gain a better understanding of the design pattern.

1. Look through ProdigyViews source code and find the PVSession

class.

2. Find the event name for either writing a session or writing a

cookie.

3. Create a class that accepts the same parameters that the method
in the Session class outputs.

4. Add that class as an observer to PVSession:writeCookie() or

PVSession::writeMethod

5. Execute PVSession:writeCookie() or PVSession::writeMethod

and print out the results in the class you created.

Summary
1. Add _notify to a function and set the event name. Add
as many parameters as you need after the event name. Parameters will be passed to the functions thats are listening.

2. Attach an observer with _addObserver. Make sure to

specify the name of the event, the class and method the even will be calling.

API Reference
For a better understanding of the Collections and the Iterator, check out the api at the two links below.
PVStaticPatterns

PVPatterns

More Tutorials
For more tutorials, please visit: http://www.prodigyview.com/tutorials

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