PHP functions that start with a double underscore – a “__” – are called magic functions (and/or methods) in PHP. They are functions that are always defined inside classes, and are not stand-alone (outside of classes) functions.
The magic functions available in PHP are: __construct(), __destruct(), __call(), __callStatic(), __get(), __set(), __isset(), __unset(), __sleep(), __wakeup(), __toString(), __invoke(), __set_state(), __clone(), and __autoload().
We’ll be covering each of them separately in this series of course and try to understand each magic method by appropriate example.
Why are they called Magic Methods?
The definition of a magic function is provided by the programmer – meaning you, as the programmer, will actually write the definition. This is important to remember – PHP does not provide the definitions of the magic functions – the programmer must actually write the code that defines what the magic function will do. But, magic functions will never directly be called by the programmer – actually, PHP will call the function ‘behind the scenes’. This is why they are called ‘magic’ functions – because they are never directly called, and they allow the programmer to do some pretty powerful things.
