Constructors and Destructors
WHEN do I use public, protected or private keyword? Here's the default behavior.
<?php
class Example
{
/* use PUBLIC on variables and functions when:
* 1. outside-code SHOULD access this property or function.
* 2. extending classes SHOULD inherit this property or function.
*/
public $var1;
public function someFunction_1() { }
/* use PROTECTED on variables and functions when:
* 1. outside-code SHOULD NOT access this property or function.
* 2. extending classes SHOULD inherit this property or function.
*/
protected $var2;
protected function someFunction_2() { }
/* use PRIVATE on variables and functions when:
* 1. outside-code SHOULD NOT access this property or function.
* 2. extending classes SHOULD NOT inherit this property or function.
*/
private $var3;
private function someFunction_3() { }
}
# these are the only valid calls outside-code can make on Example objects:
$obj1 = new Example(); // instantiate
$var1 = $obj1->var1; // get public data
$obj1->var1 = 35; // set public data
$obj1->someFunction_1(); // call public function
?>
Now try extending the class...
<?php
class Example_2 extends Example
{
// this class inherits the following properties and functions.
public $var1;
public function someFunction_1() { }
protected $var2;
protected function someFunction_2() { }
}
# these are the only valid calls outside-code can make on Example_2 objects:
$obj2 = new Example_2(); // instantiate
$var2 = $obj2->var1; // get public data
$obj2->var1 = 45; // set public data
$obj2->someFunction_1(); // call public function
?>
Visibility
The visibility of a property or method can be defined by prefixing the declaration with the keywords: public, protected or private. Public declared items can be accessed everywhere. Protected limits access to inherited and parent classes (and to the class that defines the item). Private limits visibility only to the class that defines the item.
Members Visibility
Class members must be defined with public, private, or protected.
Example #1 Member declaration
<?php
/**
* Define MyClass
*/
class MyClass
{
public $public = 'Public';
protected $protected = 'Protected';
private $private = 'Private';
function printHello()
{
echo $this->public;
echo $this->protected;
echo $this->private;
}
}
$obj = new MyClass();
echo $obj->public; // Works
echo $obj->protected; // Fatal Error
echo $obj->private; // Fatal Error
$obj->printHello(); // Shows Public, Protected and Private
/**
* Define MyClass2
*/
class MyClass2 extends MyClass
{
// We can redeclare the public and protected method, but not private
protected $protected = 'Protected2';
function printHello()
{
echo $this->public;
echo $this->protected;
echo $this->private;
}
}
$obj2 = new MyClass2();
echo $obj2->public; // Works
echo $obj2->private; // Undefined
echo $obj2->protected; // Fatal Error
$obj2->printHello(); // Shows Public, Protected2, Undefined
?>
Note: The PHP 4 method of declaring a variable with the var keyword is still supported for compatibility reasons (as a synonym for the public keyword). In PHP 5 before 5.1.3, its usage would generate an E_STRICT warning.
Method Visibility
Class methods must be defined with public, private, or protected. Methods without any declaration are defined as public.
Example #2 Method Declaration
<?php
/**
* Define MyClass
*/
class MyClass
{
// Declare a public constructor
public function __construct() { }
// Declare a public method
public function MyPublic() { }
// Declare a protected method
protected function MyProtected() { }
// Declare a private method
private function MyPrivate() { }
// This is public
function Foo()
{
$this->MyPublic();
$this->MyProtected();
$this->MyPrivate();
}
}
$myclass = new MyClass;
$myclass->MyPublic(); // Works
$myclass->MyProtected(); // Fatal Error
$myclass->MyPrivate(); // Fatal Error
$myclass->Foo(); // Public, Protected and Private work
/**
* Define MyClass2
*/
class MyClass2 extends MyClass
{
// This is public
function Foo2()
{
$this->MyPublic();
$this->MyProtected();
$this->MyPrivate(); // Fatal Error
}
}
$myclass2 = new MyClass2;
$myclass2->MyPublic(); // Works
$myclass2->Foo2(); // Public and Protected work, not Private
class Bar
{
public function test() {
$this->testPrivate();
$this->testPublic();
}
public function testPublic() {
echo "Bar::testPublic\n";
}
private function testPrivate() {
echo "Bar::testPrivate\n";
}
}
class Foo extends Bar
{
public function testPublic() {
echo "Foo::testPublic\n";
}
private function testPrivate() {
echo "Foo::testPrivate\n";
}
}
$myFoo = new foo();
$myFoo->test(); // Bar::testPrivate
// Foo::testPublic
?>
add a note
User Contributed NotesVisibility
Jeffrey
10-Oct-2008 04:18
10-Oct-2008 04:18
wbcarts at juno dot com
11-Sep-2008 01:51
11-Sep-2008 01:51
UNDERSTANDING PHP's OBJECT VISIBILITY
Sometimes it's good to see a list of many extended classes, one right after the other - just for the sole purpose of looking at their inherited members. Maybe this will help:
<?php
class MyClass_1{
public $pubVal = 'Hello World!';
protected $proVal = 'Hello FROM MyClass_1';
private $priVal = 'Hello TO MyClass_1';
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_1[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
class MyClass_2 extends MyClass_1{
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_2[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
class MyClass_3 extends MyClass_2{
private $priVal = 'Hello TO MyClass_3';
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_3[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
class MyClass_4 extends MyClass_3{
protected $proVal = 'Hello FROM MyClass_4';
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_4[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
class MyClass_5 extends MyClass_4{
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_5[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
class MyClass_6 extends MyClass_5{
private $priVal = 'Hello TO MyClass_6';
public function __toString(){
return "MyClass_6[public=$this->pubVal, protected=$this->proVal, private=$this->priVal]";
}
}
echo (new MyClass_1()) . '<br>';
echo (new MyClass_2()) . '<br>';
echo (new MyClass_3()) . '<br>';
echo (new MyClass_4()) . '<br>';
echo (new MyClass_5()) . '<br>';
echo (new MyClass_6()) . '<br>';
?>
The list of extended objects:
MyClass_1[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_1, private=Hello TO MyClass_1]
MyClass_2[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_1, private=]
MyClass_3[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_1, private=Hello TO MyClass_3]
MyClass_4[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_4, private=]
MyClass_5[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_4, private=]
MyClass_6[public=Hello World!, protected=Hello FROM MyClass_4, private=Hello TO MyClass_6]
Notice in the class definitions, I made absolutly no attempt to change protected members to private, etc. - that gets too confusing and is not necessary - though I did redeclare a few members with the same var name and visibility strength. One other noteworthy: the output for MyClass_2, there seems to be a private property with value of empty string. Here, $priVal was not inherited from MyClass_1 because it is private in MyClass_1, instead, because of PHP's relaxed syntax, it was actually created right there in MyClass2::__toString() method... not only that, it is not a private member either. Watch out for this kind of thing, as PHP can sometimes give confusing impressions.
omnibus at omnibus dot edu dot pl
13-Dec-2007 06:04
13-Dec-2007 06:04
Please note that if a class has a protected variable, a subclass cannot have the same variable redefined private (must be protected or weaker). It seemed to be logical for me as a subsubclass would not know if it could see it or not but even if you declare a subclass to be final the restriction remains.
phpdoc at povaddict dot com dot ar
11-Oct-2007 11:22
11-Oct-2007 11:22
Re: ference at super_delete_brose dot co dot uk
"If eval() is the answer, you’re almost certainly asking the wrong question."
<?php
eval('$result = $this->'.$var.';'); //wrong
$result = $this->$var; //right way
$var = "foo";
$this->var = "this will assign to member called 'var'.";
$this->$var = "this will assign to member called 'foo'.";
?>
Joshua Watt
29-May-2007 10:39
29-May-2007 10:39
I couldn't find this documented anywhere, but you can access protected and private member varaibles in different instance of the same class, just as you would expect
i.e.
<?php
class A
{
protected $prot;
private $priv;
public function __construct($a, $b)
{
$this->prot = $a;
$this->priv = $b;
}
public function print_other(A $other)
{
echo $other->prot;
echo $other->priv;
}
}
class B extends A
{
}
$a = new A("a_protected", "a_private");
$other_a = new A("other_a_protected", "other_a_private");
$b = new B("b_protected", "ba_private");
$other_a->print_other($a); //echoes a_protected and a_private
$other_a->print_other($b); //echoes b_protected and ba_private
$b->print_other($a); //echoes a_protected and a_private
?>
ference at super_delete_brose dot co dot uk
22-May-2007 08:40
22-May-2007 08:40
Sometimes you may wish to have all members of a class visible to other classes, but not editable - effectively read-only.
In this case defining them as public or protected is no good, but defining them as private is too strict and by convention requires you to write accessor functions.
Here is the lazy way, using one get function for accessing any of the variables:
<?php
class Foo {
private $a;
private $b;
private $c;
private $d;
private $e;
private $f;
public function __construct() {
$this->a = 'Value of $a';
$this->b = 'Value of $b';
$this->c = 'Value of $c';
$this->d = 'Value of $d';
$this->e = 'Value of $e';
$this->f = 'Value of $f';
}
/* Accessor for all class variables. */
public function get($what) {
$result = FALSE;
$vars = array_keys(get_class_vars('Foo'));
foreach ($vars as $var) {
if ($what == $var) {
eval('$result = $this->'.$var.';');
return $result;
}
}
return $result;
}
}
class Bar {
private $a;
public function __construct() {
$foo = new Foo();
var_dump($foo->get('a')); // results in: string(11) "Value of $a"
}
}
$bar = new Bar();
?>
nanocaiordo at gmail dot com
08-Apr-2007 05:19
08-Apr-2007 05:19
If you always thought how can you use a private method in php4 classes then try the following within your class.
<?php
function private_func($func)
{
$this->file = __FILE__;
if (PHPVERS >= 43) {
$tmp = debug_backtrace();
for ($i=0; $i<count($tmp); ++$i) {
if (isset($tmp[$i]['function'][$func])) {
if ($this->file != $tmp[$i]['file']) {
trigger_error('Call to a private method '.__CLASS__.'::'.$func.' in '.$tmp[$i]['file'], E_USER_ERROR);
}
}
}
}
}
?>
Then inside the private function add:
<?php
function foo() {
$this->private_func(__FUNCTION__);
# your staff goes here
}
?>
stephane at harobed dot org
23-Aug-2006 12:52
23-Aug-2006 12:52
A class A static public function can access to class A private function :
<?php
class A {
private function foo()
{
print("bar");
}
static public function bar($a)
{
$a->foo();
}
}
$a = new A();
A::bar($a);
?>
It's working.
kakugo at kakugo dot com
13-Jul-2006 01:49
13-Jul-2006 01:49
This refers to previous notes on protected members being manipulated externally:
It is obvious that if you were to allow methods the option of replacing protected variables with external ones it will be possible, but there is no reason not to simply use a protected method to define these, or not to write the code to allow it. Just because it is possible doesn't mean it's a problem, it simply does not allow you to be lax on the security of the class.
r dot wilczek at web-appz dot de
05-Jan-2006 04:41
05-Jan-2006 04:41
Beware: Visibility works on a per-class-base and does not prevent instances of the same class accessing each others properties!
<?php
class Foo
{
private $bar;
public function debugBar(Foo $object)
{
// this does NOT violate visibility although $bar is private
echo $object->bar, "\n";
}
public function setBar($value)
{
// Neccessary method, for $bar is invisible outside the class
$this->bar = $value;
}
public function setForeignBar(Foo $object, $value)
{
// this does NOT violate visibility!
$object->bar = $value;
}
}
$a = new Foo();
$b = new Foo();
$a->setBar(1);
$b->setBar(2);
$a->debugBar($b); // 2
$b->debugBar($a); // 1
$a->setForeignBar($b, 3);
$b->setForeignBar($a, 4);
$a->debugBar($b); // 3
$b->debugBar($a); // 4
?>
gugglegum at gmail dot com
02-Sep-2005 01:44
02-Sep-2005 01:44
Private visibility actually force members to be not inherited instead of limit its visibility. There is a small nuance that allows you to redeclare private member in child classes.
<?php
class A
{
private $prop = 'I am property of A!';
}
class B extends A
{
public $prop = 'I am property of B!';
}
$b = new B();
echo $b->prop; // "I am property of B!"
?>
Miguel <miguel at lugopolis dot net>
21-Jul-2005 06:40
21-Jul-2005 06:40
A note about private members, the doc says "Private limits visibility only to the class that defines the item" this says that the following code works as espected:
<?php
class A {
private $_myPrivate="private";
public function showPrivate()
{
echo $this->_myPrivate."\n";
}
}
class B extends A {
public function show()
{
$this->showPrivate();
}
}
$obj=new B();
$obj->show(); // shows "private\n";
?>
this works cause A::showPrivate() is defined in the same class as $_myPrivate and has access to it.