How to call super in PHP? - php

I have a classB which extends classA.
In both classA and classB I define the method fooBar().
In fooBar() of classB I want to call fooBar() of classA at the beginning.
Just the way I'm used to, from Objective-C. Is that possible in PHP? And if so, how?

parent::fooBar();
Straight from the manual:
The ... double colon, is a token that allows access to ... overridden properties or methods of a class.
...
Example #3 Calling a parent's method
<?php
class MyClass
{
protected function myFunc() {
echo "MyClass::myFunc()\n";
}
}
class OtherClass extends MyClass
{
// Override parent's definition
public function myFunc()
{
// But still call the parent function
parent::myFunc();
echo "OtherClass::myFunc()\n";
}
}
$class = new OtherClass();
$class->myFunc();
?>

Just a quick note because this doesn't come up as easy on Google searches, and this is well documented in php docs if you can find it. If you have a subclass that needs to call the superclass's constructor, you can call it with:
parent::__construct(); // since PHP5
An example would be if the super class has some arguments in it's constructor and it's implementing classes needs to call that:
class Foo {
public function __construct($lol, $cat) {
// Do stuff specific for Foo
}
}
class Bar extends Foo {
public function __construct()(
parent::__construct("lol", "cat");
// Do stuff specific for Bar
}
}
You can find a more motivating example here.

Related

Calling a child class function if not exist in parent class

I have a code like following ---
class CartItem{
var $v;
function __construct(){
$this->f();
}
function f(){
echo 'In parent';
}
}
class m extends CartItem{
function f(){
echo 'In child';
}
}
new m();
Now when creating instance of m()... it doesn't have any constructor, so it is calling parent classes constructor. Now inside that a function f is called.
What I want is -
if class m() have defined function f()... is should call it instead of parent class's function f().
But anyway it is calling parent classes function, as it was called from parent's constructor, irrespective of child class/ context :(
You want to call in __construct() a method that is not defined in the class. This is a sign that the CartItem class is an abstract concept and you don't intend to instantiate it (because an instance of CartItem probably doesn't contain enough information or behaviour for your project).
An abstract concept is implemented using an abstract class that defines as much as it can and defines abstract methods to be implemented in the concrete classes that extend it. The method f() is such a method that cannot be defined in the abstract concept and has to be defined in each class that extend it:
abstract class CartItem
{
public function __construct()
{
$this->f();
}
abstract protected function f();
}
class m extends CartItem
{
protected function f()
{
// Implement behaviour specific to this class
}
}
This is actually a really interesting question.
so, as I understand it, you're asking (if this isnt right please say):
can you call a function of a class that's extending a parent?
yes, you can... sort of, if the method in the child is static.
Take this example (Ive not used it in the constructor for simplicity of example, but it will work there too):
class ClassA {
public function testMeAsWell() {
return ClassB::testMe();
}
}
class ClassB extends ClassA {
static function testMe() {
return 'do something';
}
}
$child = new ClassB();
echo $child->testMe();
// outputs 'do something'
$parent = new ClassA();
echo $parent->testMeAsWell();
// also outputs 'do something'
the reason this works needs more research, but as a guess I would say that because PHP is compiled, it will know about both classes at run-time and therefore will be able to figure out what we wanted it to do.
So, further on, you want to use variables. Yes you can, but they would have to be static as well.
working example

Call method from another class in a new class - PHP

I'm learning OOP PHP. I want to call a method from another class to a new class.
For just a example:
<?php
class Aclass {
function aMethod($input)
{
echo 'Hello a world ';
}
}
?>
And i want to call the method aMethod from the class 'Aclass' into the new class.
<?php
class Bclass {
//calling the method here?
}
?>
i tried extending , still not working for me.
Thanks.
In your class Bclass you should create some functions. In case below you are creating a new instance of Aclass and then using function aMethod.
Example
<?php
class Bclass {
public function __construct() {
$a = new Aclass();
$a->aMethod("some_text");
}
}
?>
Other way is extend Bclass. In this case your class Bclass extends everything what's in Aclass so you can use it just with $this.
Example
<?php
class Bclass extends Aclass {
public function __construct() {
$this->aMethod("some_text");
}
}
?>
Also your function aMethod in Aclass should have public or protected visibility. Public if you create an instance, protected if you extends. More informations can be found in manuals at the end.
Example
<?php
class Aclass {
public function aMethod($input) // protected if you will extend this class
{
echo 'Hello a world ';
}
}
?>
You can of course use both methods not only in __construct but also in other functions.
Manuals
PHP: Visibility
PHP: Constructors and Destructors
For this I'd use dependency injection. Which is just a fancy way of saying "sending an object of the A class when creating B".
In other words, something like this:
class typeA {
public function __construct () {};
public function test () {
return 'Test string';
}
}
class typeB {
protected $testObj;
public function __construct (typeA $testCase)  {
$this->testObj = $testCase;
}
public function getTest () {
return $this->testObj->test ();
}
}
$a = new typeA ();
$b = new typeB ($a);
echo $b->getTest ();
Constructors are meant to be used to create an object that's ready to be used, which is why I've just stored the dependency inside the typeB object itself. Then, in the getTest() method I invoke the test() method of the object I'm depending upon, in order to get the needed data from it.
Doing it in this manner will allow you to write flexible OOP code, which can easily be expanded and extended as you require. Hiding the dependencies inside the constructors, by creating objects there, creates a hidden and hard dependency. Something which makes it a lot harder, if not down right impossible, to properly leverage the extensible nature of the class-based designs.

PHP: Access Method in sub-class

I want to know how to access a method i a sub-class of a class when I'm in another sub-class of that same class...
For example:
class foo {
}
class bar extends foo {
public function something() {
//do something here
}
}
class soap extends foo {
$this->something(); //This is the method I wanna call...
}
As you can see I wanna access a subclass's method from another sub class.
How do I do this in PHP?
You can do it directly, but only if soap is also a subclass of bar:
class soap extends bar {
public function someFunction()
{
$this->something(); // This will work
}
}
If it's not, you still have an option: obtain an instance of bar and then call the method on it:
class soap extends foo {
public function someFunction(bar $bar)
{
$bar->something(); // This will also work
}
}
Barring that, there's not much else you can do. Since bar is not in soap's inheritance chain, there is no way to reference something using only $this from within any of soap's methods.

Are there pure virtual functions in PHP like with C++

I would have thought lots of people would have wondered whether this is possible but I can't find any duplicate questions... do correct me.
I just want to know whether PHP offers pure virtual functions. I want the following
class Parent {
// no implementation given
public function foo() {
// nothing
}
}
class Child extends Parent {
public function foo() {
// implementation of foo goes here
}
}
Thanks very much.
You can create abstract functions, but you need to declare the parent class as abstract, too:
abstract class Parent {
// no implementation given
abstract public function foo();
}
class Child extends Parent {
public function foo() {
// implementation of foo goes here
}
}
Declare the method as abstract in the Parent class:
abstract public function foo();
There are abstract classes!
abstract class Parent {
// no implementation given
abstract public function foo();
}
}
class Child extends Parent {
public function foo() {
// implementation of foo goes here
}
}
Yes, that type of solution is possible, it's called polymorphism, you can do it without declaring an abstract class or an interface.

PHP: How to call function of a child class from parent class

How do i call a function of a child class from parent class?
Consider this:
class whale
{
function __construct()
{
// some code here
}
function myfunc()
{
// how do i call the "test" function of fish class here??
}
}
class fish extends whale
{
function __construct()
{
parent::construct();
}
function test()
{
echo "So you managed to call me !!";
}
}
That's what abstract classes are for. An abstract class basically says: Whoever is inheriting from me, must have this function (or these functions).
abstract class whale
{
function __construct()
{
// some code here
}
function myfunc()
{
$this->test();
}
abstract function test();
}
class fish extends whale
{
function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
}
function test()
{
echo "So you managed to call me !!";
}
}
$fish = new fish();
$fish->test();
$fish->myfunc();
Okay, this answer is VERY late, but why didn't anybody think of this?
Class A{
function call_child_method(){
if(method_exists($this, 'child_method')){
$this->child_method();
}
}
}
And the method is defined in the extending class:
Class B extends A{
function child_method(){
echo 'I am the child method!';
}
}
So with the following code:
$test = new B();
$test->call_child_method();
The output will be:
I am a child method!
I use this to call hook methods which can be defined by a child class but don't have to be.
Technically, you cannot call a fish instance (child) from a whale instance (parent), but since you are dealing with inheritance, myFunc() will be available in your fish instance anyway, so you can call $yourFishInstance->myFunc() directly.
If you are refering to the template method pattern, then just write $this->test() as the method body. Calling myFunc() from a fish instance will delegate the call to test() in the fish instance. But again, no calling from a whale instance to a fish instance.
On a sidenote, a whale is a mammal and not a fish ;)
Ok, well there are so many things wrong with this question I don't really know where to start.
Firstly, fish aren't whales and whales aren't fish. Whales are mammals.
Secondly, if you want to call a function in a child class from a parent class that doesn't exist in your parent class then your abstraction is seriously flawed and you should rethink it from scratch.
Third, in PHP you could just do:
function myfunc() {
$this->test();
}
In an instance of whale it will cause an error. In an instance of fish it should work.
Since PHP 5.3 you can use the static keyword to call a method from the called class. i.e.:
<?php
class A {
public static function who() {
echo __CLASS__;
}
public static function test() {
static::who(); // Here comes Late Static Bindings
}
}
class B extends A {
public static function who() {
echo __CLASS__;
}
}
B::test();
?>
The above example will output:
B
source: PHP.net / Late Static Bindings
I'd go with the abstract class....
but in PHP you don't have to use them to make it work. Even the invocation of the parent class' constructor is a "normal" method call and the object is fully "operational" at this point, i.e. $this "knows" about all the members, inherited or not.
class Foo
{
public function __construct() {
echo "Foo::__construct()\n";
$this->init();
}
}
class Bar extends Foo
{
public function __construct() {
echo "Bar::__construct()\n";
parent::__construct();
}
public function init() {
echo "Bar::init()\n";
}
}
$b = new Bar;
prints
Bar::__construct()
Foo::__construct()
Bar::init()
i.e. even though class Foo doesn't know anything about a function init() it can call the method since the lookup is based on what $this is a reference to.
That's the technical side. But you really should enforce the implementation of that method by either making it abstract (forcing descendants to implement it) or by providing a default implementation that can be overwritten.
I know this is probably a bit late for you, but I had to get around this problem as well. To help others understand why this is sometimes a requirement, here's my example:
I'm building an MVC framework for an application, I have a base controller class, which is extended by each individual controller class. Each controller will have different methods, depending on what the controller needs to do. Eg, mysite.com/event would load the event controller. mysite.com/event/create will load the event controller and call the 'create' method. In order to standardise the calling of the create function, we need the base controller class to access the methods of the child class, which will be different for every controller. So code-wise, we have the parent class:
class controller {
protected $aRequestBits;
public function __construct($urlSegments) {
array_shift($urlSegments);
$this->urlSegments = $urlSegments;
}
public function RunAction($child) {
$FunctionToRun = $this->urlSegments[0];
if(method_exists($child,$FunctionToRun)) {
$child->$FunctionToRun();
}
}
}
Then the child class:
class wordcontroller extends controller {
public function add() {
echo "Inside Add";
}
public function edit() {
echo "Inside Edit";
}
public function delete() {
echo "Inside Delete";
}
}
So the solution in my case was to pass the child instance itself back to the parent class as a parameter.
The only way you could do this would be through reflection. However, reflection is expensive and should only be used when necessary.
The true problem here is that a parent class should never rely on the existence of a child class method. This is a guiding principle of OOD, and indicates that there is a serious flaw in your design.
If your parent class is dependent on a specific child, then it cannot be used by any other child classes that might extend it as well. The parent-child relationship goes from abstraction to specificity, not the other way around. You would be much, much better off to put the required function in the parent class instead, and override it in the child classes if necessary. Something like this:
class whale
{
function myfunc()
{
echo "I am a ".get_class($this);
}
}
class fish extends whale
{
function myfunc()
{
echo "I am always a fish.";
}
}
It's very simple. You can do this without abstract class.
class whale
{
function __construct()
{
// some code here
}
/*
Child overridden this function, so child function will get called by parent.
I'm using this kind of techniques and working perfectly.
*/
function test(){
return "";
}
function myfunc()
{
$this->test();
}
}
class fish extends whale
{
function __construct()
{
parent::construct();
}
function test()
{
echo "So you managed to call me !!";
}
}
Even if this is an old question, this is my solution using ReflectionMethod:
class whale
{
function __construct()
{
// some code here
}
function myfunc()
{
//Get the class name
$name = get_called_class();
//Create a ReflectionMethod using the class and method name
$reflection = new \ReflectionMethod($class, 'test');
//Call the method
$reflection->invoke($this);
}
}
The benefit of using the ReflectionMethod class is that you could pass an array of arguments and check which one is needed in the method you are calling:
//Pass a list of arguments as an associative array
function myfunc($arguments){
//Get the class name
$name = get_called_class();
//Create a ReflectionMethod using the class and method name
$reflection = new \ReflectionMethod($class, 'test');
//Get a list of parameters
$parameters = $reflection->getParameters()
//Prepare argument list
$list = array();
foreach($parameters as $param){
//Get the argument name
$name = $param->getName();
if(!array_key_exists($name, $arguments) && !$param->isOptional())
throw new \BadMethodCallException(sprintf('Missing parameter %s in method %s::%s!', $name, $class, $method));
//Set parameter
$list[$name] = $arguments[$name];
}
//Call the method
$reflection->invokeArgs($this, $list);
}
From whale instance you can't call this function. but from fish instance you can do
function myfunc()
{
static::test();
}
If exists a method in the child class, method will be called from the parent class (as an optional callback if exists)
<?php
class controller
{
public function saveChanges($data)
{
//save changes code
// Insert, update ... after ... check if exists callback
if (method_exists($this, 'saveChangesCallback')) {
$arguments = array('data' => $data);
call_user_func_array(array($this, 'saveChangesCallback'), $arguments);
}
}
}
class mycontroller extends controller
{
public function setData($data)
{
// Call parent::saveChanges
$this->saveChanges($data);
}
public function saveChangesCallback($data)
{
//after parent::saveChanges call, this function will be called if exists on this child
// This will show data and all methods called by chronological order:
var_dump($data);
echo "<br><br><b>Steps:</b><pre>";
print_r(array_reverse(debug_backtrace()));
echo "</pre>";
}
}
$mycontroller = new mycontroller();
$mycontroller->setData(array('code' => 1, 'description' => 'Example'));
That's a little tricky
if you talk about OOP concepts that's not possible
but if you use your brain then it can be :)
OOP say's you cannot call child class function from parent class and that's correct because inheritance is made of inheriting parent functions in child
but
you can achieve this with Static class
class Parent
{
static function test()
{
HelperThread::$tempClass::useMe();
}
}
class child extends parent
{
// you need to call this. functon everytime you want to use
static function init()
{
HelperThread::$tempClass = self::class;
}
static function useMe()
{
echo "Ahh. thank God you manage a way to use me";
}
}
class HelperThread
{
public static $tempClass;
}
that's just a solution to my problem.
i hope it helps with your problem
Happy Coding :)
what if whale isn't extended? what would that function call result in? Unfortunately there is no way to do it.
Oh, and does a fish extend a whale? A fish is a fish, a whale is a mammal.

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