Class WP_Widget not found - php

Question

This is from an unsupported WordPress plugin that I'm trying to revive. I'm getting an error in the following code which states
Fatal Error class WP_Widget not found on Line 7
It works with PHP 5.3.3 but not on 5.6 or any version of PHP 7. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
<?php
/**
*
* Widget Class
*/
class Twitter_Like_Box_Widget extends WP_Widget
{
var $_options;
function __construct( ) {
global $tlb;
$this->wpb_prefix = $tlb->get_domain();
$widget_ops = array( 'classname' => 'tlb_widget', 'description' => ' Display your Twitter followers along with a follow me button' ); // Widget Settings
$control_ops = array( 'id_base' => 'tlb_widget' ); // Widget Control Settings
parent::__construct( 'tlb_widget', 'Twitter Like Box', $widget_ops, $control_ops );
$this->_options = $tlb->getOptions();
}
//Function to init the widget values and call the display widget function
function widget($args,$instance)
{
$title = apply_filters('widget_title', $instance['title']); // the widget title
$username = $instance['username']; // the widget title
$total_number = $instance['total_number']; // the number of followers to show
$show_followers = $instance['show_followers']; // show followers or users i follow
$link_followers = $instance['link_followers']; // link followers to profile
$width = $instance['width']; // link followers to profile
$widget = array ( 'username' => $username ,'total' => $total_number , 'show_followers' => $show_followers ,'link_followers'=> $link_followers, 'width' => $width, 'options' => $this->_options);
echo $args['before_widget'];
if ( $title )
echo $args['before_title'] . $title . $args['after_title'];
$this->display_widget($widget);
echo $args['after_widget'];
}
//function that display the widget form
function form($instance)
{
global $tlb;
$defaults = array( 'total_number' => 10, 'show_followers' => 'followers','link_followers'=> 'on','title' => 'My Followers', 'username' => 'chifliiiii');
$instance = wp_parse_args( (array) $instance, $defaults ); ?>
<?php if( $tlb->error != '' && defined('DOING_AJAX')):?>
<div class="error">
<p><?php echo sprintf(__('Check you OAuth settings, there is a problem with the connection.',$this->wpb_prefix),admin_url('options-general.php?page=twitter-like-box-reloaded'));?></p>
</div>
<?php endif;?>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>"><?php _e('Title:',$this->wpb_prefix);?></label>
<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('title'); ?>'" type="text" value="<?php echo $instance['title']; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('username'); ?>"><?php _e('Username (without #):',$this->wpb_prefix);?></label>
<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('username'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('username'); ?>'" type="text" value="<?php echo $instance['username']; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_thumbs'); ?>"><?php _e('Show Followers or people you follow?',$this->wpb_prefix);?></label>
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<input type="radio" class="radio" <?php checked( $instance['show_followers'], 'followers' ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_followers'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('show_followers'); ?>" value="followers"/> <?php _e('Followers',$this->wpb_prefix);?>
</li>
<li>
<input type="radio" class="radio" <?php checked( $instance['show_followers'], 'nofollowers' ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_followers'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('show_followers'); ?>" value="nofollowers" /> <?php _e('People I follow',$this->wpb_prefix);?>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('total_number'); ?>"><?php _e('How many you want to show?',$this->wpb_prefix); ?></label>
<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('total_number'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('total_number'); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo $instance['total_number']; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('link_followers'); ?>"><?php _e('Link followers to their profiles?',$this->wpb_prefix); ?></label>
<input type="checkbox" class="checkbox" <?php checked( $instance['link_followers'], 'on' ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('link_followers'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('link_followers'); ?>" value="on" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('width'); ?>"><?php _e('Widget width:',$this->wpb_prefix); ?></label>
<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('width'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('width') ; ?>'" type="text" value="<?php echo isset($instance['width']) ? $instance['width'] : '100%'; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<?php _e('More settings',$this->wpb_prefix);?>
</p>
<?php
}
//function that save the widget
function update($new_instance, $old_instance)
{
$instance['title'] = strip_tags($new_instance['title']);
$instance['username'] = strip_tags( $new_instance['username'] )== '' ? 'chifliiiii' : strip_tags( $new_instance['username'] );
$instance['total_number'] = strip_tags($new_instance['total_number']);
$instance['show_followers'] = $new_instance['show_followers'];
$instance['link_followers'] = $new_instance['link_followers'];
$instance['width'] = $new_instance['width'];
//Delete transient in case exist
$key = 'tlb_widgets_' . $instance['username'];
delete_transient($key);
return $instance;
}
//Finally thevfunction that create the widget
static function get_tlb_widget($widget)
{
global $tlb,$you;
$wpb_prefix = $tlb->get_domain();
$twitter = self::fetch_twitter_followers($widget);
ob_start();
if( !empty($you['error']) && '32' == $you['code']) {
echo $you['error'];
}
else
{
?>
<style type="text/css">
<?php echo $widget['options']['custom_css'];?>
</style>
<div id="tlb_container" style="width: <?php echo isset($widget['width']) ? $widget['width'] : 'auto';?>">
<?php if(isset($twitter['error']) ) :?>
<?php echo $twitter['error'];?>
<?php else : ?>
<div>
<div id="tlb_profile_img">
<a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/<?php echo $widget['username'];?>">
<img src="<?php echo $twitter['profile_image_url'];?>" width="44" height="44" align="left" alt="<?php echo $widget['username'];?>">
</a>
</div>
<div id="tlb_name">
<a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/<?php echo $widget['username'];?>">
<?php echo $widget['username'];?><span> <?php _e('on Twitter',$wpb_prefix);?></span>
</a>
</div>
<div id="tlb_follow">
<?php _e('Follow #',$wpb_prefix);?><?php echo $widget['username'];?>
</div>
</div><br>
<div style="padding:0; color:#637746;">
<div id="tlb_follow_total">
<?php
if ( $widget['show_followers'] == 'followers')
{
echo $twitter['followers_count'].' '.__('people follow',$wpb_prefix).' <strong>'. $widget['username'].'</strong>';
}
else
{
echo __('You follow ',$wpb_prefix). $twitter['friends_count'].__(' users',$wpb_prefix);
}
?>
</div>
<?php for($i=0; $i < $widget['total']; $i++) :?>
<span class="tlb_user_item">
<?php if($widget['link_followers'] == 'on' ): ?>
<a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/<?php echo $twitter['followers'][$i]['screen_name'];?>" title="<?php echo $twitter['followers'][$i]['screen_name'];?>" rel="nofollow">
<?php endif;?>
<img src="<?php echo $twitter['followers'][$i]['profile_image_url'];?>" width="48" height="48" alt="<?php echo $twitter['followers'][$i]['screen_name'];?>">
<span><?php echo substr($twitter['followers'][$i]['screen_name'], 0, 8);?></span>
<?php if($widget['link_followers'] == 'on' ): ?>
</a>
<?php endif;?>
</span>
<?php endfor;?>
<br style="clear:both">
</div>
<?php if ( $widget['options']['credits'] == 'true' ) echo '<div style="font-size:9px;text-align:right;">Widget By Timersys</div>';?>
<?php endif;//twitter error ?>
</div>
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
</script>
<?php
}
$widget_code = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();
return $widget_code;
}
/**
* Display widget
*/
static function display_widget($options){
echo Twitter_Like_Box_Widget::get_tlb_widget($options);
}
static function fetch_twitter_followers($options)
{
global $tlb,$you;
$cache_time = $tlb->_options['cache-time'];
$id = isset($options['id']) ? $options['id'] : 'widgets';
$key = 'tlb_'.$id.'_' . $options['username'];
// Let's see if we have a cached version
$followers = get_transient($key);
if ($followers !== false)
return $followers;
else
{
$tlb->connect();
$response = $tlb->connection->get("users/lookup", array('screen_name' => $options['username']));
if (Twitter_Like_Box_Widget::is_twitter_error($response))
{
// In case Twitter is down we return the last successful count
return get_option($key);
}
else
{
$json = $response;
#$you['name'] = $json[0]->name;
#$you['screen_name'] = $json[0]->screen_name;
#$you['followers_count'] = $json[0]->followers_count;
#$you['profile_image_url'] = $json[0]->profile_image_url;
#$you['friends_count'] = $json[0]->friends_count;
if ( $options['show_followers'] == 'followers' )
{
$fans = $tlb->connection->get('followers/ids',array('screen_name' => $options['username']));
}
else
{
$fans = $tlb->connection->get('friends/ids',array('screen_name' => $options['username']));
}
if (!Twitter_Like_Box_Widget::is_twitter_error($fans))
{
if ($options['total'] > 90 )
{
$fans_ids = array_chunk($fans->ids, 90);
$fans = array();
foreach ( $fans_ids as $ids_a )
{
$fans_ids = (string)implode( ',', $ids_a );
#$result = $tlb->connection->get('users/lookup',array('user_id' => $fans_ids ));
#$fans = array_merge($fans , $result );
}
}
else
{
$fans_ids = (string)implode( ',', array_slice($fans->ids, 0, $options['total']) );
#$fans = $tlb->connection->get('users/lookup',array('user_id' =>$fans_ids));
}
}
if( !Twitter_Like_Box_Widget::is_twitter_error($fans) && isset($fans[0]->screen_name) )
{
$followers = array();
for($i=0; $i < $options['total']; $i++)
{
$followers[$i]['screen_name'] = (string)$fans[$i]->screen_name;
$followers[$i]['profile_image_url'] = (string)$fans[$i]->profile_image_url;
}
$you['followers'] = $followers;
// Store the result in a transient, expires after 1 hour
// Also store it as the last successful using update_option
set_transient($key, $you, 60*60* $cache_time);
update_option($key, $you);
}
return $you;
}
}
}
static function is_twitter_error($response){
global $you,$tlb;
if(is_object($response) && isset($response->errors) )
{
$you['error'] = 'Error code: '. $response->errors[0]->code .'<br>Error message: '.$response->errors[0]->message;
$you['code'] = $response->errors[0]->code;
$tlb->log_error($you['error']);
return true;
}
if(is_object($response) && isset($response->ids) && empty($response->ids))
{
$you['error'] = '<br>Error message: You got no users to show. check if you have followers';
$tlb->log_error($you['error']);
return true;
}
return false;
}
} //end of class

Answer 1

Wordpress have ABSPATH variable defined in wp-config.php file, which contains the project's root path. Now we can include any file of wordpress codebase. eg.
require_once ABSPATH.'wp-includes/class-wp-widget.php';

Answer 2

I don't know the reason for the error, propably something with autoloading, but you can solve it if you include the file for the WP_Widget class in the first line.
require_once get_home_path()."wp-includes/class-wp-widget.php";