Example 1

$person = new JObject();
// declare some values
$props  = array(
            'name'    =>'Anonymous', 
            '_secret' => '4711'
          );
// bulk assignment
$person->setProperties( $props );

echo 'Hello, ', $person->name;

Result 1

Hello, Anonymous

Example 2

$details = new JObject();
// set some properties
$details->set( 'name', 'Jane Doe' ); 
$details->set( 'gender', 'f' ); 

// assign to $person object from Example 1
$person->setProperties( $details );

switch ($person->gender) {
case 'f':
    $greeting = 'Hello, Mrs.';
    break;
case 'm':
    $greeting = 'Hello, Mr.';
    break;
default:
    $greeting = 'Hello,';
    break;
}
echo $greeting, ' ',  $person->name;

Result 2

echo Hello, Mrs. Jane Doe';

Example 3

$override = array( 'gender' => null );
$person->setProperties( $override );

print_r( $person );
echo PHP_EOL, 'type: ', gettype( $person->gender );
echo PHP_EOL, 'gender: ', isset( $person->gender ) ? $person->gender : 'neuter';

unset( $person->gender );
unset( $person->_secret );
print_r( $person );

Result 2

JObject Object
(
    [_errors] => Array
        (
        )
    [name] => Jane Doe
    [_secret] => 4711
    [gender] =>
)

type: NULL
gender: neuter

JObject Object
(
    [_errors] => Array
        (
        )

    [name] => Jane Doe
)