Working with PHP Class Properties

Question

I have created a new class named Player with 2 properties:

name
ID

I have no idea how the following code worked to me, that's why I'm asking you:

<?php
$player = new Player();
$player->name = "Someone";
$player->ID = 123;
$player->color = "Red"; // Why it worked?
echo $player->color; // Worked great too!
?>

I could set a property color and use it when I haven't even declared it in my class file. How is it possible?

PHP will allow you to add that property unless you explicitly tell it not to by overloading __set() and throwing an error when you do. — John Conde
– John Conde, Commented Oct 22, 2015 at 19:03
So, people may use empty classes just by declaring the class? — EliKo
– EliKo, Commented Oct 22, 2015 at 19:04
I've never had to use it, but I would guess it would be so that people can associate various data parts with a pre-defined out-the-box class, such as using the PHPMailer class to send an email and then saving to the class some sort of database id tracking, for the user whose email is just sent to, to record in the class who got the email sent to them. That's my guess... — Mm-Art-In
– Mm-Art-In, Commented Oct 22, 2015 at 19:55

Community · Accepted Answer · 2023-11-17 20:42:18Z

3

In PHP, the feature is called property overloading (the "overloading" term is misused! it should've been something like "interpreter hooks", instead).

Overloading in PHP provides means to dynamically "create" properties and methods.^qoute

You can use the dynamic properties as if they've been declared in the class definition; like:

class A {
}

$a = new A();
$a->myProperty = 'something';

edited Nov 17, 2023 at 20:42

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Oct 22, 2015 at 19:31

someOne

1,6752 gold badges14 silver badges20 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Working with PHP Class Properties

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related