I am trying to access a variable within a class in a function:
class google_api_v3 {
public static $api_key = 'this is a string';
function send_response() {
// access here $api_key, I tried with $this->api_key, but that works only on private and that variable I need also to access it outside the class that is why I need it public.
}
}
function outside_class() {
$object = new google_api_v3;
// works accessing it with $object::api_key
}
A generic way to use values / methods (including static ones) inside the class is self::
echo self::$api_key;
There are many ways to do it no one mentioned about static keyword
you can do inside class:
static::$api_key
You can also use references and keywords like parent, self or using class name.
There is difference between self and static. When you override static variable in class self:: will point to the class where it was called and static:: does is wiser and will check ovverides. There's example from php.net side written in comments I've modifed it a bit just to show differences.
<?php
abstract class a
{
static protected $test="class a";
public function static_test()
{
echo static::$test; // Results class b
echo self::$test; // Results class a
echo a::$test; // Results class a
echo b::$test; // Results class b
}
}
class b extends a
{
static protected $test="class b";
}
$obj = new b();
$obj->static_test();
Output:
class b
class a
class a
class b
More on:
class google_api_v3 {
public static $api_key = 'this is a string';
function send_response() {
$key = google_api_v3::$api_key
}
}
function outside_class() {
$object = new google_api_v3;
// works accessing it with $object::api_key
}
