Access Level to certain class must be public error in PHP - php

Question

I created this class
<?php
abstract class Validator{
public $_errors = array();
abstract public function isValid($input);
public function _addErrors($message){
$this->_errors = $message;
}
public function getErrors(){
return $this->_errors;
}
public function getMessage(){
return $this->message;
}
}
class Validator_NoSpaces extends Validator{
public function __construct($value){
$this->isValid($value);
}
public function isValid($value){
if (preg_match('/\s/', $value)){
$this->_addErrors("Spaces are not allowed");
return false;
}
return true;
}
}
class Validator_MinimumLength extends Validator{
protected $_minLength;
protected $value;
public function __construct($value ,$minLength=8){
$this->_minLength = $minLength;
$this->value = $value;
$this->isValid($value);
}
public function isValid($input){
if (strlen($input) > $this->_minLength) {
return true;
}else{
$this->_addErrors("Input must be at least {$this_minLength}");
return false;
}
}
}
class Form_Element_Validators extends Validator{
protected $_validators = array();
public function addValidator(Validator $validator)
{
$this->_validators[] = $validator;
}
public function getValidators()
{
return $this->_validators;
}
protected function _addErrors(array $errors)
{
foreach ($errors as $error) {
$this->_addErrors($error);
}
}
public function hasErrors()
{
return (count($this->getErrors()) !== 0);
}
public function isValid($input)
{
foreach ($this->_validators as $validator) {
if (!$validator->isValid($input)) {
$this->_addErrors($validator->getErrors());
}
}
return !$this->hasErrors();
}
}
class Form_Element extends Form_Element_Validators{
public function __construct($value){
$this->addValidator(new Validator_NoSpaces($value));
$this->addValidator(new Validator_MinimumLength($value));
}
}
for Validation purposes, but it kept giving me this error
Fatal error: Access level to Form_Element_Validators::_addErrors() must be public (as in class Validator) in C:\xampp\htdocs\beatbeast\includes\Db\Validators.php on line 91
But the instance variable in this class $_errors is declared public, I don't get it why I am receiving this error.

Answer 1

Youre getting that error because the visibility of the method must be the same or less restrictive than that of it its definition on a parent class. In this case you have addErrors as public on your abstract class and are attempting to make it protected on a child class.

Answer 2

As others have mentioned, you can't make a sub class method more restrictive than the parent; this is because sub classes are supposed to be a valid replacement for their parent class.
In your particular case, I would change the visibility of all methods and properties that start with an underscore to protected.

Answer 3

You've specify the protected access to the protected function _addErrors(array $errors) method of Form_Element_Validators class. So change it to public.
Edit:
Have you noticed? The sub class method (overridden method) is defined with Type Hinting. Please keep the same parameter type for both; super-class and sub-class method.
abstract class Validator{
public $_errors = array();
abstract public function isValid($input);
public function _addErrors(array $message){
$this->_errors = $message;
}
....

Answer 4

Since PHP 7.2.0 there was a bug #61970 fixed (Restraining __construct() access level in subclass gives a fatal error).
Bump your PHP version to 7.2 and you could make it private or protected.

Answer 5

It also happens when you are trying to do something with specific guard.
You can add
protected $guard = "guard_name";
Add above line in your model.
that will solve the problem.