Magic Methods in PHP

What are magic methods

Magic methods are special methods whose names begin with two underscores, like __construct or __toString. You never call them by name — PHP calls them automatically at the right moment, such as when an object is created, read, or printed. They let a class hook into these events.

__construct and __destruct

__construct runs when an object is created; __destruct runs when it is destroyed.

<?php
  class User {
      public function __construct() {
          echo "Object created\n";
      }
      public function __destruct() {
          echo "Object destroyed";
      }
  }
  $u = new User();
?>

__construct is by far the most used magic method — it sets up new objects. __destruct runs at cleanup time, useful for closing resources.

__get and __set

These run when you access a property that is not directly available.

<?php
  class Box {
      private $data = [];
      public function __set($name, $value) { $this->data[$name] = $value; }
      public function __get($name) { return $this->data[$name] ?? null; }
  }
  $b = new Box();
  $b->color = "red";     // calls __set
  echo $b->color;        // calls __get
?>

Even though color is not a declared property, __set and __get intercept the access, letting the class manage it — great for validation or storing data flexibly.

__call

__call runs when you call a method that does not exist.

<?php
  class Api {
      public function __call($name, $args) {
          return "You called $name";
      }
  }
  $a = new Api();
  echo $a->anything();
?>

Instead of an error, __call catches the missing method — handy for building flexible APIs or forwarding calls elsewhere.

__toString

__toString decides what an object looks like when used as text.

<?php
  class Money {
      public $amount = 100;
      public function __toString() {
          return "Rs " . $this->amount;
      }
  }
  echo new Money();
?>

Without __toString, echoing an object causes an error. With it, you control the string representation — perfect for objects that have a natural text form.

Common mistakes

• Calling magic methods directly. You rarely write $obj->__construct() — PHP calls them for you.
• Forgetting __toString returns a string. It must return text, not echo it.
• Overusing __get/__set. They can hide bugs; declare real properties when you can.
• One underscore instead of two. Magic methods need the double underscore __.

Summary

• Magic methods start with __ and are called automatically by PHP.
• __construct/__destruct run at object creation and cleanup.
• __get/__set intercept property access.
• __call catches calls to missing methods.
• __toString defines an object's text form for echo.

Next, structure classes with PHP OOP, or reuse code with PHP traits.