Let's say I'm writing a PHP (>= 5.0) class that's meant to be a singleton. All of the docs I've read say to make the class constructor private so the class can't be directly instantiated.
So if I have something like this:
class SillyDB
{
private function __construct()
{
}
public static function getConnection()
{
}
}
Are there any cases where __construct() is called other than if I'm doing a
new SillyDB()
call inside the class itself?
And why am I allowed to instantiate SillyDB from inside itself at all?
__construct() would only be called if you called it from within a method for the class containing the private constructor. So for your Singleton, you might have a method like so:
class DBConnection
{
private static $Connection = null;
public static function getConnection()
{
if(!isset(self::$Connection))
{
self::$Connection = new DBConnection();
}
return self::$Connection;
}
private function __construct()
{
}
}
$dbConnection = DBConnection::getConnection();
The reason you are able/would want to instantiate the class from within itself is so that you can check to make sure that only one instance exists at any given time. This is the whole point of a Singleton, after all. Using a Singleton for a database connection ensures that your application is not making a ton of DB connections at a time.
Edit: Added $, as suggested by #emanuele-del-grande
Related
I have what seems like a simple query but I have not found an answer elsewhere.
I have 2 classes, one called DB which essentially connects to the database and can then run queries. I instantiate it at the top of the document $db= new DB; and I can then run a series of queries on the database throughout the page.
The issue I am having is that I want to use this instance within another class I have called User.
I know I can either instantiate again but this does not make sense OR pass the instance of DB when instantiating User, for instance $user = new User($db); but considering the $db instance will be used by most classes I am going to create I am thinking there is a better solution to import it into other classes.
I have looked at the global route but I read it is bad practice + I am getting unexpected global error
class User{
global $db;
public function __construct()
{
var_dump($this-> db);
}//end constructor
}//end class
Since your DB client will be instantiated once and then used everywhere else my initial thought was to recommend passing it as a constructor parameter (dependency injection), but since you are not fan of this approach, I would recommend making your DB client a singleton class, which means it can only be instantiated once and any subsequent attempt would return the same instance everywhere.
You can see a detailed response about singleton classes in PHP at Creating the Singleton design pattern in PHP5.
As a quick example, your DB would look like similar to this:
final class DB
{
public static function getInstance()
{
static $inst = null;
if ($inst === null) {
$inst = new self();
}
return $inst;
}
private function __construct()
{
// your code here ...
}
// your code here ...
}
And then, on your User class you would just get the DB class instance:
class User {
// your code here ...
public function doSomething() {
$db = DB::getInstance();
// your code here ...
}
}
PHP does not handle scopes like Javascript does, your $db is undefined.
The scope of a variable is the context within which it is defined. For the most part all PHP variables only have a single scope. This single scope spans included and required files as well […] Within user-defined functions a local function scope is introduced. Any variable used inside a function is by default limited to the local function scope.
Source: http://php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php
This means that there is only a global scope and a function/method scope in PHP. So, either pass the $db instance into the method as a collaborator
class User{
public function __construct() {}
public function getInfo(Database $db) {
$db->query( /* ... */ );
}
}
$user = new User();
$db = new Database();
$user->getInfo($db);
or pass it in the constructor (dependency injection)
class User{
private $db;
public function __construct(Database $db)
{
$this->db = $db;
}
public function getInfo() {
$this->db->query( /* ... */);
}
}
$db = new Database();
$user = new User($db);
$user->getInfo();
Consider the following code below, I've been thought by Lynda.com
to create a database class like this, my question is why not create
a static method for the database entirely instead of storing an
instance into a static property?
<?php
class Database {
private $conn;
private static $init;
public function __construct() {
$this->conn = new mysqli('localhost','root','root','mydb');
}
public static function getInstance() {
self::$init = new self();
return self::$init;
}
}
$db = Database::getInstance();
?>
If you want to use singleton you should to protect __construct()
class DB
{
private static $instance;
private function __construct($args)
{
// do some
}
public static function getInstance()
{
// get instance
}
}
$query = 'SELECT etc...';
$stmt = DB::getInstance()->prepare($query);
I use this pattern in DB class. But if you have more than 1 connection you should NOT! use singleton.
My guess is that code you posted was intended to be the following because it looks like it was intended to be a singleton. I've only changed the getInstance() method.
class Database {
private $conn;
private static $init;
public function __construct() {
$this->conn = new mysqli('localhost','root','root','mydb');
}
public static function getInstance() {
if (is_null(self::$init)) {
self::$init = new self();
}
return self::$init;
}
}
$db = Database::getInstance();
I think this should clear up the confusion of why a static instance variable is used.
If this wasn't intended to be a singleton, then your question of "why didn't they just use a static method" should have the answer "they should have".
Just to clarify, $db is a Database object, which is instantiated by calling static method getInstance().
why not create a static method for the database entirely?
A static method is defined inside a class, however it can be called without having to instantiate the class. In other words, a static method belongs to the class, since in can be called without instantiating an object.
You can add methods to the Database class to interact with the database as you deem necessary.
I'm new to this level of PHP programming and I've been reading a post about singleton and static classes. I'm in the process of writing a class that would facilitate my DB connections.
I came across the following code by Jon Raphaelson (here) :
class ConnectionFactory
{
private static $factory;
public static function getFactory()
{
if (!self::$factory)
self::$factory = new ConnectionFactory(...);
return self::$factory;
}
private $db;
public function getConnection() {
if (!$this->db) // this line was modified due to comment
$this->db = new PDO(...); // this line was modified due to comment
return $db;
}
}
function getSomething()
{
$conn = ConnectionFactory::getFactory()->getConnection();
.
.
.
}
It seemed like I had found what I was looking for, however I have a few questions about it.
self::$factory = new ConnectionFactory(...); - I don't see a constructor in this class. Do I just create this constructor and pass in the db details ('dbname', 'user', 'pass', etc)?
the getSomething() function, I'm assuming that the intent was to put all of the actual functions that would retrieve data within the ConnectionFactory class - and this is the reason for this function being in this class. Otherwise, I would have expected this function to be within another class. [edit] SKIP THIS QUESTION, I didn't see the one bracket.
What happens when two users are logged into the site and are requesting the DB connection (both are doing updates, etc)? Will it be an issue that this is a singleton?
Thanks!
This is mostly to expand on my comments under the question...
The better "singleton" pattern would be this:
class ConnectionFactory {
protected static $connection;
public function getConnection() {
if (!self::$connection) {
self::$connection = new PDO(...);
}
return self::$connection;
}
}
The users of this factory should expect an instance of it, not call it themselves:
class Foo {
protected $connectionFactory;
public function __construct(ConnectionFactory $factory) {
$this->connectionFactory = $factory;
}
public function somethingThatNeedsAConnection() {
$connection = $this->connectionFactory->getConnection();
...
}
}
$foo = new Foo(new ConnectionFactory);
This allows Foo to get a connection itself when needed, but also allows you to inject some alternative connection into Foo, for example for testing purposes.
As a convenience measure and to cut down on instantiation complexity, this pattern is also good:
class Foo {
protected $connectionFactory;
public function __construct(ConnectionFactory $factory = null) {
if (!$factory) {
$factory = new ConnectionFactory;
}
$this->connectionFactory = $factory;
}
...
}
This still allows the dependency to be injected and overridden, but it doesn't require you to inject a factory every time you instantiate Foo.
The factory is a singleton because you're not want more than one factory.
You don't need a constructor, you can setup whatever state you need for the factory the getFactory() method. The getFactory() function doesn't get a connection, so don't do any connection related setup here, but not the connection object itself. Factories 'build instances' of classes for you to use, so you'd use the getConnection() method to set the state and construct the connection object the factory is supposed to generate.
getSomething() isn't a method in the ConnectionFactory class, it's just a example of using the factory class to get a factory, then get a connection.
I personally hate method chaining in PHP. What's really happening in getSomething() is:
function getSomething()
{
$factory = ConnectionFactory::getFactory();
$conn = $factory->getConnection();
.
.
.
}
A class doesn't need an explicit constructor in order to be instantiated with new ClassName(). However, if the class is supposed to be a singleton (and it looks like it in this case), the entire point of the pattern is making such instantiations impossible from outside of the class which is why I believe there should be a constructor declared with private keyword.
The get getSomething() is a "standalone" function with an example of using your class.
No. Multiple users use multiple instances of PHP processing your script and nothing is shared among them.
I know there were some questions about this opened, but I need a more "specific" example and solution.
Here is my Example:
databse.class.php
class db{
public function connect($conStr){...}
}
func.class.php
func class{
public insert_song(){
//ineed to use the conenct method from database
//then I would INERT INTO...
}
}
Questions:
1) Should I require or extend the db class in func class?
2) If I require, will the scope of the db class functions will remain? (lets say if I have a private variable there, will it be accessible from the out side?)
No, you should not require or extend the database class.
No, private variables or methods never get available outside the class. Protected variables are available to child classes only, public variables are...public.
You could require the file in which the database class lives somewhere in your config, so you can instantiate the database class wherever and whenever you want. But, as you'll probably need only one instance of the database object, you could just instantiate it in the config and pass it around using Dependency injection.
This basically means that you pass the database object to other objects needing one. A common way of dealing with database objects is using Constructor injection, although setter injection would do as well.
What you do is something similar to this:
// config:
$db = new Database;
$db->setConnectionValues();
$fooClass = new Foo($db);
$fooClass->insertSomething();
// fooClass:
class Foo
{
private $db;
public function __construct(Database $db)
{
$this->db = $db;
}
public function insertSomething()
{
$this->db->query("INSERT");
}
}
This solves most of your dependency problems.
// changed the class name, func is not good for a class name.
class Foo {
protected $db;
public setDb($db) {
$this->db = $db;
}
public insert_song(){
//ineed to use the conenct method from database
//then I would INERT INTO...
$this->db->insert(...);
}
}
Example:
// omited the error handling.
$db = new db();
$db->connect();
$foo = new Foo();
$foo->setDb($db);
$foo->insert_songs();
As part of Abstraction, you should separate the responsibilities for your classes. Your Database class should care about your Songs (which is how you should name it) class.
If your Songs class uses the Database class, you should inject it in the constructor as follows:
<?php
class Database {
public function connect($conStr) {
/*
* Connect to database here
*/
}
}
class Songs {
private $db;
public function __construct(Database $db) {
$this->db = $db;
}
public function insert_song($song) {
/*
* Now you can use $this->db as your database object!
*/
}
}
I am new to OOP (PHP) and just met the design pattern - singleton.
I have found a DB class which uses mysqli (singleton class). I have added some custom methods to it (insert_id(), query(), fetch_result(), etc).
Then I created a new class called UserTools and I want to extend the database class to use the methods I've created previously (query(), fetch_result(), etc).
But I get this error:
Fatal error: Call to private Database::__construct() from invalid context in (...)
when I try to create instance of the new class (User Tools).
What should I do? Is it a right structure?
There are several way to achieve what you want.
One would be :
class UserTools {
private $db;
function __construct() {
$this->db = Database::db_connect();
}
function login() { /* ... */}
}
Although it would be better to directly pass the database instance to the constructor like this :
class UserTools {
private $db;
function __construct($db) {
$this->db = $db;
}
function login() { /* ... */}
}
// Usage
$userTools = new UserTools(Database::db_connect());
If you're really lazy you could just modify your database class and make the constructor public :
class Database {
/* ... */
public function __construct(){/* ... */}
/* ... */
}
class UserTools extends Database {/* ... */}
But I really discourage you to use the latter one. It's really bad code and it doesn't make sense in a logical point of view. Your UserTools class use a database instance. It is not a database.
It is my understanding that only protected and public methods and variables are inherited through extension, not private ones. Try changing your methods/variables from private to protected. public ones are visible to all.
For more information, See: PHP Visibility (Manual)
Edit
Understand the Singleton pattern. It is called 'singleton' because only one instance of a class is expected. Because of this, most classes implementing the singleton pattern define the constructor as private to restrict you from creating more than one.
To create an instance of a singleton, most classes define some kind of getInstance static method, which is public. This public method calls the private constructor, which probably sets flags indiciating that the class has been instantiated in order to prevent further attempts to instantiate the class. The getInstance method returns the results of calling the constructor, essentially the instance of the class.
You could write something like
class UserTools extends DB {
....
}
A quick example on inheritance in PHP:
class A {
public $a;
public function set_a($new_a) { $this->a = $new_a; return $this; }
public function get_a() { return $this->a; }
}
class B extends A {
public $b;
public function set_b($new_b) { $this->b = $new_b; return $this; }
public function get_b() { return $this->b; }
}
$objb = new B();
$objb->set_a("Some Value")->get_a(); //Some Value
The singleton pattern in most cases prevents instantiating the Singleton class by defining the constructor as private (ie private function __construct()).
So if you try to instantiate either your custom class or the original one that you're extending you will get the message above. You should either create a different class or define and use your function as static (eg public static function query($sql, $dbconnection)).
See http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.patterns.php