diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_API.c php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_API.c
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_API.c	2008-08-22 16:51:30.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_API.c	2008-10-05 10:24:34.011719825 +0200
@@ -1761,6 +1761,10 @@
  		!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME)-1) && fptr->common.num_args != 0
 	) {
 		zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() cannot take arguments", ce->name, ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME);
+ 	} else if (name_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME) - 1 &&
+ 		!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && fptr->common.num_args != 1
+	) {
+		zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() must take exactly 1 argument", ce->name, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME);
 	}
 }
 /* }}} */
@@ -1774,7 +1778,7 @@
 	int count=0, unload=0;
 	HashTable *target_function_table = function_table;
 	int error_type;
-	zend_function *ctor = NULL, *dtor = NULL, *clone = NULL, *__get = NULL, *__set = NULL, *__unset = NULL, *__isset = NULL, *__call = NULL, *__callstatic = NULL, *__tostring = NULL;
+	zend_function *ctor = NULL, *dtor = NULL, *clone = NULL, *__get = NULL, *__set = NULL, *__unset = NULL, *__isset = NULL, *__call = NULL, *__callstatic = NULL, *__tostring = NULL, *__cast = NULL;
 	char *lowercase_name;
 	int fname_len;
 	char *lc_class_name = NULL;
@@ -1896,6 +1900,8 @@
 				__callstatic = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME))) {
 				__tostring = reg_function;
+			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME))) {
+				__cast = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_GET_FUNC_NAME))) {
 				__get = reg_function;
 			} else if ((fname_len == sizeof(ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME)-1) && !memcmp(lowercase_name, ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_SET_FUNC_NAME))) {
@@ -1939,6 +1945,7 @@
 		scope->__call = __call;
 		scope->__callstatic = __callstatic;
 		scope->__tostring = __tostring;
+		scope->__cast = __cast;
 		scope->__get = __get;
 		scope->__set = __set;
 		scope->__unset = __unset;
@@ -1982,6 +1989,12 @@
 			}
 			__tostring->common.fn_flags &= ~ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
 		}
+		if (__cast) {
+			if (__cast->common.fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC) {
+				zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() cannot be static", scope->name, __cast->common.function_name);
+			}
+			__cast->common.fn_flags &= ~ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
+		}
 		if (__get) {
 			if (__get->common.fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC) {
 				zend_error(error_type, "Method %s::%s() cannot be static", scope->name, __get->common.function_name);
diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_API.h php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_API.h
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_API.h	2008-08-12 23:45:52.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_API.h	2008-10-05 10:24:59.940490512 +0200
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@
 		class_container.__call = handle_fcall;					\
 		class_container.__callstatic = NULL;					\
 		class_container.__tostring = NULL;						\
+		class_container.__cast = NULL;						\
 		class_container.__get = handle_propget;					\
 		class_container.__set = handle_propset;					\
 		class_container.__unset = handle_propunset;				\
diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_compile.c php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_compile.c
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_compile.c	2008-08-29 12:17:08.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_compile.c	2008-10-05 10:22:13.990378347 +0200
@@ -1236,6 +1236,10 @@
 				if (fn_flags & ((ZEND_ACC_PPP_MASK | ZEND_ACC_STATIC) ^ ZEND_ACC_PUBLIC)) {
 					zend_error(E_WARNING, "The magic method __toString() must have public visibility and can not be static");
 				}
+			} else if ((name_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && (!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1))) {
+				if (fn_flags & ((ZEND_ACC_PPP_MASK | ZEND_ACC_STATIC) ^ ZEND_ACC_PUBLIC)) {
+					zend_error(E_WARNING, "The magic method __cast() must have public visibility and can not be static");
+				}
 			}
 		} else {
 			char *short_class_name;
@@ -1303,6 +1307,11 @@
 					zend_error(E_WARNING, "The magic method __toString() must have public visibility and can not be static");
 				}				
 				CG(active_class_entry)->__tostring = (zend_function *) CG(active_op_array);
+			} else if ((name_len == sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1) && (!memcmp(lcname, ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME, sizeof(ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME)-1))) {
+				if (fn_flags & ((ZEND_ACC_PPP_MASK | ZEND_ACC_STATIC) ^ ZEND_ACC_PUBLIC)) {
+					zend_error(E_WARNING, "The magic method __cast() must have public visibility and can not be static");
+				}				
+				CG(active_class_entry)->__cast = (zend_function *) CG(active_op_array);
 			} else if (!(fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_STATIC)) {
 				CG(active_op_array)->fn_flags |= ZEND_ACC_ALLOW_STATIC;
 			}
diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_compile.h php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_compile.h
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_compile.h	2008-08-29 20:12:47.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_compile.h	2008-10-05 10:18:47.140387882 +0200
@@ -742,6 +742,7 @@
 #define ZEND_CALL_FUNC_NAME         "__call"
 #define ZEND_CALLSTATIC_FUNC_NAME   "__callstatic"
 #define ZEND_TOSTRING_FUNC_NAME     "__tostring"
+#define ZEND_CAST_FUNC_NAME         "__cast"
 #define ZEND_AUTOLOAD_FUNC_NAME     "__autoload"
 
 /* The following constants may be combined in CG(compiler_options)
diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend.h php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend.h
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend.h	2008-08-15 21:47:23.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend.h	2008-10-05 10:25:21.791668877 +0200
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@
 	union _zend_function *__call;
 	union _zend_function *__callstatic;
 	union _zend_function *__tostring;
+	union _zend_function *__cast;
 	union _zend_function *serialize_func;
 	union _zend_function *unserialize_func;
 
diff -rU3 php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c
--- php-5.3.0alpha2-orig/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c	2008-08-14 23:36:56.000000000 +0200
+++ php-5.3.0alpha2/Zend/zend_object_handlers.c	2008-10-05 10:45:31.291628410 +0200
@@ -1197,9 +1197,57 @@
 	zval *retval;
 	zend_class_entry *ce;
 
+	ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
+	if (ce->__cast) {
+		// HANDLE __cast($type)
+		zval type_str;
+		const char *type_c_str = "unknown";
+
+		switch(type) {
+			case IS_STRING: type_c_str = "string"; break;
+			case IS_BOOL: type_c_str = "bool"; break;
+			case IS_LONG: type_c_str = "int"; break;
+			case IS_DOUBLE: type_c_str = "float"; break;
+		}
+
+		ZVAL_STRINGL(&type_str, type_c_str, strlen(type_c_str), 0);
+
+		if ((zend_call_method_with_1_params(&readobj, ce, &ce->__cast, "__cast", &retval, &type_str)) || EG(exception)) {
+			if (EG(exception)) {
+				if (retval) {
+					zval_ptr_dtor(&retval);
+					retval = NULL;
+				}
+
+				zend_error(E_ERROR, "Method %s::__cast() must not throw an exception", ce->name);
+				return FAILURE;
+			}
+			if (Z_TYPE_P(retval) == type) {
+				INIT_PZVAL(writeobj);
+				if (readobj == writeobj) {
+					zval_dtor(readobj);
+				}
+				ZVAL_ZVAL(writeobj, retval, 1, 1);
+				if (Z_TYPE_P(writeobj) != type) {
+					convert_to_explicit_type(writeobj, type);
+				}
+				return SUCCESS;
+			} else {
+				zval_ptr_dtor(&retval);
+				INIT_PZVAL(writeobj);
+				if (readobj == writeobj) {
+					zval_dtor(readobj);
+				}
+				ZVAL_EMPTY_STRING(writeobj);
+				zend_error(E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR, "Method %s::__cast() must return the requested type of value", ce->name);
+				return SUCCESS;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	switch (type) {
 		case IS_STRING:
-			ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
+//			ce = Z_OBJCE_P(readobj);
 			if (ce->__tostring &&
 				(zend_call_method_with_0_params(&readobj, ce, &ce->__tostring, "__tostring", &retval) || EG(exception))) {
 				if (EG(exception)) {