Accessing "protected" part of object - php

Question

I have the variable $customerData that stores an object. When I execute print_r($customerData) I get something similar to the below.
Balanced\Customer Object(
[_collection_uris:protected] => Array(
[reversals] => Array(
[class] => Balanced\Reversal
[uri] => /v1/customers/1234123412341234/reversals
)
)
[_member_uris:protected] => Array(
[source] => Array(
[class] => Balanced\Card
[uri] => /v1/customers/1234123412341234/cards/987698769876
)
)
[_type] => customer
[twitter] => twitterHandle
[phone] => 5551231234
)
I'm having issues accessing the uri inside _member_uris:protected.
print_r($customerData->_member_uris:protected); #Throws error "unexpected ':'"
print_r($customerData->_member_uris); #Throws error " Undefined property"
print_r($customerData['_member_uris']); #Throws error "Cannot use object of type array"
What is the process of accessing that part of the object?

Answer 1

Members declared protected can be accessed only within the class itself and by inherited and parent classes. You could add a method in your class to get it, using setAccessible(), like:
//function inside your class
public static function getProtectedProp($class, $propName) {
$reflClass = new ReflectionClass($class);
$property = $reflClass->getProperty($propertyName);
$property->setAccessible(true);
return $property->getValue($class);
}
and you can do:
getProtectedProp($someClassObject, 'protectedPropertyName');
Source:: Reading Protected Property

Answer 2

You can't access protected or private properties from global code or regular functions. From the documentationof Visibility:
Class members declared public can be accessed everywhere.
Members declared protected can be accessed only within the class itself and by inherited and parent classes.
Members declared as private may only be accessed by the class that defines the member.