{ $this->container = array("one" => 1, "two" => 2, "three" => 3); } public function offsetSet($offset, $value) { if (is_null($offset)) { $this->container[] = $value; } else { $this->container[$offset] = $value; } } public function offsetExists($offset) { return isset($this->container[$offset]); } public function offsetUnset($offset) { unset($this->container[$offset]); } public function offsetGet($offset) { if (!isset($this->container[$offset])) { throw new OutOfBoundsException("The offset '{$offset}' is out of bounds"); } return $this->container[$offset]; } } $a = new AA(); $val = $a->offsetGet("three"); //$val = $a->offsetGet(3); var_dump($val);