Using PHP 5.4 traits as getter and setter helper

getter-setter-traits.php

<?php

trait Getters
{
    /**
     * calls Class::$name()
     *
     * @param string $name the name of a requested property
     * @return mixed the result
     */
    public function __get($name)
    {
        return $this->__call($name);
    }

    /**
     * checks wether a get method get<$Name>() exists and calls it
     *
     * @param string $name
     * @param array $args optional
     * @return mixed
     */
    public function __call($name, $args = [])
    {
        if (method_exists($this, $method = 'get' . ucfirst($name))) {
            return $this->{$method}($args);
        } else {
            throw new \Exception('Method or property does not exists');
        }
    }
}

trait Setters
{
    /**
     * @param string $name property name
     * @param mixed $value the value
     */
    public function __set($name, $value)
    {
        if (method_exists($this, $method = 'set' . ucfirst($name))) {
            $this->{$method}($value);
        } else {
            throw new \Exception('Private or protected properties are not accessible');
        }
    }
}

class MyTest
{
    use Getters;
    use Setters;

    /**
     * @var \DateTime
     */
    private $date;

    /**
     * @return \DateTime
     */
    public function getDate()
    {
        return $this->date;
    }

    /**
     * @param mixed $value
     */
    public function setDate($value)
    {
        if ($value instanceof \DateTime) {
            $this->date = $value;
        } elseif (is_string($value)) {
            $this->date = new \DateTime($value);
        } elseif (is_int($value)) {
            $this->date = new \DateTime(date(DATE_ATOM, $value));
        }
    }
}

// Test it
$test = new MyTest();
$test->date = strtotime('2012-12-31');
var_dump($test);
$test->date = '2013-01-31';
var_dump($test);
$test->date = new DateTime();
var_dump($test->date);
var_dump($test->date());
var_dump($test->getDate());

This is a gist for a blog post http://www.scandio.de/2013/02/getter-und-setter-mit-traits-php-5-4/