PHP: Calling another class' method

Question

I'm still learning OOP so this might not even be possible (although I would be surprised if so), I need some help calling another classes method.

For example in ClassA I have this method:

function getName()
{
    return $this->name;
}

now from ClassB (different file, but in the same directory), I want to call ClassA's getName(), how do I do that? I tried to just do an include() but that does not work.

Thanks!

Answer 1

You would need to have an instance of ClassA within ClassB or have ClassB inherit ClassA

class ClassA {
    public function getName() {
      echo $this->name;
    }
}

class ClassB extends ClassA {
    public function getName() {
      parent::getName();
    }
}

Without inheritance or an instance method, you'd need ClassA to have a static method

class ClassA {
  public static function getName() {
    echo "Rawkode";
  }
}

--- other file ---

echo ClassA::getName();

If you're just looking to call the method from an instance of the class:

class ClassA {
  public function getName() {
    echo "Rawkode";
  }
}

--- other file ---

$a = new ClassA();
echo $a->getName();

Regardless of the solution you choose, require 'ClassA.php is needed.

Answer 2

//file1.php
<?php

class ClassA
{
   private $name = 'John';

   function getName()
   {
     return $this->name;
   }   
}
?>

//file2.php
<?php
   include ("file1.php");

   class ClassB
   {

     function __construct()
     {
     }

     function callA()
     {
       $classA = new ClassA();
       $name = $classA->getName();
       echo $name;    //Prints John
     }
   }

   $classb = new ClassB();
   $classb->callA();
?>

Answer 3

If they are separate classes you can do something like the following:

class A
{
    private $name;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->name = 'Some Name';
    }

    public function getName()
    {
        return $this->name;
    }
}

class B
{
    private $a;

    public function __construct(A $a)
    {
        $this->a = $a;
    }

    function getNameOfA()
    {
        return $this->a->getName();
    }
}

$a = new A();
$b = new B($a);

$b->getNameOfA();

What I have done in this example is first create a new instance of the A class. And after that I have created a new instance of the B class to which I pass the instance of A into the constructor. Now B can access all the public members of the A class using $this->a.

Also note that I don't instantiate the A class inside the B class because that would mean I tighly couple the two classes. This makes it hard to:

1. unit test your B class
2. swap out the A class for another class

Answer 4

File 1

class ClassA {

    public $name = 'A';

    public function getName(){
        return $this->name;
    }

}

File 2

include("file1.php");
class ClassB {

    public $name = 'B';

    public function getName(){
        return $this->name;
    }

    public function callA(){
        $a = new ClassA();
        return $a->getName();
    }

    public static function callAStatic(){
        $a = new ClassA();
        return $a->getName();
    }

}

$b = new ClassB();
echo $b->callA();
echo $b->getName();
echo ClassB::callAStatic();