Source for file recast.function.php

<?php
 
/**
 * Re-casts a given object $old_object to a new class ($new_classname).
 * @param ref object $old_object Any object.
 * @param string $new_classname 
 * @return ref object Returns the object re-cast as $new_classname.
 *
 * @package harmoni.utilities
 * 
 * @copyright Copyright &copy; 2005, Middlebury College
 * @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU General Public License (GPL)
 *
 * @version $Id: recast.function.php,v 1.7 2007/09/04 20:25:54 adamfranco Exp $
 */
function recast($old_object, $new_classname) {
    if(class_exists($new_classname)) {
        $old_serialized_object = serialize($old_object);
        $old_object_name_length = strlen(get_class($old_object));
        $subtring_offset = $old_object_name_length + strlen($old_object_name_length) + 6;
        $new_serialized_object = 'O:' . strlen($new_classname) . ':"' . 
            $new_classname . '":'.substr($old_serialized_object, $subtring_offset);
        $obj = unserialize($new_serialized_object);
        return $obj;
    } else {
        $false = false;
        return $false;
    }
}
 
?>