In your first example: $interface->handler($client)->parse($local_file_name); the method that is called is the parse method of the object referenced by: $interface->handler($client). The arrow operator associates left to right, hence the above result.

Your second example

$Person->name('Homer')
->job('safety inspector')
->wife('Marge')
->fav_food('Duff');
[download]

seems to be just plain weird. I might be (and almost certainly am) missing something - the same thing as you in that case :) - but I read this as "execute the method fav_food on the object returned by executing wife on the object returned by executing job on the object returned by executing name on the thingy referenced in $person" (arguments left out to save what little shreds of clarity remaining). Beats me. Help.

CU

Robartes -