<?php
class MyPerson {

      // gets an array of data about the seleted person
      function getPerson($id) {
          global $db;
          $result = $db->query("SELECT * FROM person WHERE id=$id");
          return $result->fetchRow();
      }

      // example of checking a password.
      function checkPassword($username,$password) {
          global $db;
          $result = $db->query("SELECT username FROM person WHERE username='$username' AND password = '$password'");
          return $result->fetchRow();
      }

  }

  // get the persons details..
  $array = MyPerson::getPerson(12);
?>

<?php
class MyPerson {

      var $id;  
      var $name;
      var $birthDate;


      // gets an array of data about the seleted person
      function get($id) {
          global $db;
          $result = $db->query("SELECT * FROM person WHERE id=$id");
          $array = $result->fetchRow();
          foreach($array as $key=>$value) {
              $this->$key = $value;
          }
      }

      function getAge() {
          return date('Y') - date('Y',$this->birthDate);
      }

  }
  // now get the person and display the age.
  $person = new MyPerson;
  $person->get(12);
  echo "{$person->name} is ". $person->getAge() . " years old";
?>

<?php
class MyPerson {

      var $id;
      var $name;
      var $birthDate;


      // does the query based on the value of $this->name
      function find() {
          global $db;
          $this->result = $db->query("SELECT * FROM person WHERE name={$this->name}");
      }

      // fetches a row of data and sets the object 
      // variables to match it.

      function fetch() {
          $array = $this->result->fetchRow();
          if (empty($array)) {
              return false;
          }
          foreach($array as $key=>$value) {
              $this->$key = $value;
          }
      }

  }
  // now get the person and display the age.
  $person = new MyPerson;
  $person->name = "John";
  $person->find();
  while ($person->fetch()) {
    echo "a {$person->name} has a birthday on {$person->birthDate}<br />";
  }
?>

<?php
// this is the common configuration code - 
//place in a general site wide include file.

    // this  the code used to load and store 
    // DataObjects Configuration. 
    $options = &PEAR::getStaticProperty('DB_DataObject', 'options');

    // the simple examples use parse_ini_file, 
    // which is fast and efficient.
    // however you could as easily use wddx, 
    // xml or your own configuration array.
    $config = parse_ini_file('example.ini',TRUE);

    // because PEAR::getstaticProperty was 
    // called with and & (get by reference)
    // this will actually set the variable inside 
    // that method (a quasi static variable)
    $options = $config['DB_DataObject'];

     // this is normally contained in your DataObjects file 
     // (autogenerated by the generator)

    require_once 'DB/DataObject.php';


    // by extending the base class DB_DataObject 
    // you inherit all the common methods defined in it.
    class DataObjects_Person extends  DB_DataObject {

        var $id; // this is a primary id (it's specified in 
        // a config file - explained later)
        var $name;
        var $friend;

        // this is a simple function to get the persons 
        // friends..?

        function getFriends(){

            $personObject = $this->factory('person');

            // look for all people with their friend number 
            // matching this persons id.
            $personObject->friend = $this->id;

            // do the select query.
            $personObject->find();
            $array = array();

            // fetch the results into the object.
            while ($personObject->fetch()) {
                // use the clone to copy - not really needed 
                // but get used to it for PHP5

                $array[] = clone($personObject);
            }
            // return the results.
            return $array;

        }
    }


    // and this goes on your display code 

    // create a new person class..
    $person = DB_DataObject::Factory('person');

    // get the person using the primary key.
    $person->get(12);
    // get the friends.
    $friends = $person->getFriends();

    //  DB_DataObjects is designed to make print_r useable to 
    //  debug your applications.
    print_r($friends);
?>

SELECT * FROM person WHERE id=12;
SELECT * FROM person WHERE friend=12;

<?php
    $person = DB_DataObject::factory('person');
    $person->get(12);
    $person->name = 'Fred';
    $person->update();
?>