Object Oriented in PHP Language

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a fundamental concept in modern PHP development. It allows you to o

rganize and structure your code in a more modular and efficient way. In this post, we’ll provide an overview of OOP in PHP with examples to help you grasp its core principles.

Understanding OOP in PHP Language

At its core, OOP is about modeling real-world entities and their interactions in your code. In PHP, everything is treated as an object, which is an instance of a class. Classes act as blueprints or templates for creating objects, defining their properties (attributes) and behavior (methods).

Example: Creating a Class

class Car {
    public $brand;
    public $model;

    public function startEngine() {
        echo "The $this->brand $this->model's engine is running.";
    }
}

In this example, we’ve defined a Car class with properties ($brand and $model) and a method (startEngine).

Creating Objects

Once you’ve defined a class, you can create objects based on that class, each with its own unique set of properties.

Example: Creating Objects

$car1 = new Car();
$car1->brand = "Toyota";
$car1->model = "Camry";

$car2 = new Car();
$car2->brand = "Ford";
$car2->model = "Mustang";

Now, we have two Car objects, $car1 and $car2, each with its own brand and model.

Encapsulation

Encapsulation is a fundamental OOP concept that involves bundling data (attributes) and methods that operate on that data into a single unit, called a class. It provides data protection and reduces the risk of unintended interference from external code.

Example: Encapsulation

class Car {
    private $brand;
    private $model;

    public function setBrand($brand) {
        $this->brand = $brand;
    }

    public function getBrand() {
        return $this->brand;
    }
}

In this updated example, we’ve made the brand and model properties private and provided methods to set and get the brand value. This ensures controlled access to the data.

Inheritance

Inheritance allows one class to inherit the properties and methods of another class. It promotes code reusability and supports the creation of hierarchies in your code.

Example: Inheritance

class ElectricCar extends Car {
    public function startEngine() {
        echo "The $this->brand $this->model's electric motor is running.";
    }
}

Here, we’ve created a ElectricCar class that inherits from the Car class and overrides the startEngine method to provide a different implementation.

Polymorphism

Polymorphism is the ability to present the same interface for different data types or objects. It allows you to use objects of different classes in a uniform way.

Example: Polymorphism

function drive($vehicle) {
    $vehicle->startEngine();
}

$car = new Car();
$electricCar = new ElectricCar();

drive($car); // Outputs: "The Toyota Camry's engine is running."
drive($electricCar); // Outputs: "The Ford Mustang's electric motor is running."

In this example, the drive function can accept both Car and ElectricCar objects, demonstrating polymorphism.