archived-doc-en/language/oop5/visibility.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- $Revision$ -->
 <sect1 xml:id="language.oop5.visibility" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
  <title>Visibility</title>
  <para>
   The visibility of a property, a method or (as of PHP 7.1.0) a constant can be defined by prefixing
   the declaration with the keywords <literal>public</literal>,
   <literal>protected</literal> or
   <literal>private</literal>. Class members declared public can be
   accessed everywhere. Members declared protected can be accessed
   only within the class itself and by inheriting and parent
   classes. Members declared as private may only be accessed by the
   class that defines the member.
  </para>

  <sect2 xml:id="language.oop5.visibility-members">
   <title>Property Visibility</title>
   <para>
    Class properties may be defined as public, private, or
    protected. Properties declared without any explicit visibility
    keyword are defined as public.
   </para>
   <example>
    <title>Property declaration</title>
    <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
/**
 * Define MyClass
 */
class MyClass
{
    public $public = 'Public';
    protected $protected = 'Protected';
    private $private = 'Private';

    function printHello()
    {
        echo $this->public;
        echo $this->protected;
        echo $this->private;
    }
}

$obj = new MyClass();
echo $obj->public; // Works
echo $obj->protected; // Fatal Error
echo $obj->private; // Fatal Error
$obj->printHello(); // Shows Public, Protected and Private


/**
 * Define MyClass2
 */
class MyClass2 extends MyClass
{
    // We can redeclare the public and protected properties, but not private
    public $public = 'Public2';
    protected $protected = 'Protected2';

    function printHello()
    {
        echo $this->public;
        echo $this->protected;
        echo $this->private;
    }
}

$obj2 = new MyClass2();
echo $obj2->public; // Works
echo $obj2->protected; // Fatal Error
echo $obj2->private; // Undefined
$obj2->printHello(); // Shows Public2, Protected2, Undefined

?> 
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
   <sect3 xml:id="language.oop5.visibility-members-aviz">
    <title>Asymmetric Property Visibility</title>
    <simpara>
     As of PHP 8.4, properties may also have their
     visibility set asymmetrically, with a different scope for
     reading (<literal>get</literal>) and writing (<literal>set</literal>).
     Specifically, the <literal>set</literal> visibility may be
     specified separately, provided it is not more permissive than the
     default visibility.
    </simpara>
    <example>
     <title>Asymmetric Property visibility</title>
     <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
class Book
{
    public function __construct(
        public private(set) string $title,
        public protected(set) string $author,
        protected private(set) int $pubYear,
    ) {}
}

class SpecialBook extends Book
{
    public function update(string $author, int $year): void
    {
        $this->author = $author; // OK
        $this->pubYear = $year; // Fatal Error
    }
}

$b = new Book('How to PHP', 'Peter H. Peterson', 2024);

echo $b->title; // Works
echo $b->author; // Works
echo $b->pubYear; // Fatal Error

$b->title = 'How not to PHP'; // Fatal Error
$b->author = 'Pedro H. Peterson'; // Fatal Error
$b->pubYear = 2023; // Fatal Error
?>
]]>
     </programlisting>
    </example>
    <para>There are a few caveats regarding asymmetric visibility:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       Only typed properties may have a separate <literal>set</literal> visibility.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       The <literal>set</literal> visibility must be the same
       as <literal>get</literal> or more restrictive. That is,
       <code>public protected(set)</code> and <code>protected protected(set)</code>
       are allowed, but <code>protected public(set)</code> will cause a syntax error.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       If a property is <literal>public</literal>, then the main visibility may be
       omitted.  That is, <code>public private(set)</code> and <code>private(set)</code>
       will have the same result.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       A property with <literal>private(set)</literal> visibility
       is automatically <literal>final</literal>, and may not be redeclared in a child class.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       Obtaining a reference to a property follows <literal>set</literal> visibility, not <literal>get</literal>.
       That is because a reference may be used to modify the property value.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <simpara>
       Similarly, trying to write to an array property involves both a <literal>get</literal> and
       <literal>set</literal> operation internally, and therefore will follow the <literal>set</literal>
       visibility, as that is always the more restrictive.
      </simpara>
     </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <note>
     <simpara>
      Spaces are not allowed in the set-visibility declaration.
      <literal>private(set)</literal> is correct.
      <literal>private( set )</literal> is not correct and will result in a parse error.
     </simpara>
    </note>
    <simpara>
     When a class extends another, the child class may redefine
     any property that is not <literal>final</literal>.  When doing so,
     it may widen either the main visibility or the <literal>set</literal>
     visibility, provided that the new visibility is the same or wider
     than the parent class.  However, be aware that if a <literal>private</literal>
     property is overridden, it does not actually change the parent's property
     but creates a new property with a different internal name.
    </simpara>
    <example>
     <title>Asymmetric Property inheritance</title>
     <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
class Book
{
    protected string $title;
    public protected(set) string $author;
    protected private(set) int $pubYear;
}

class SpecialBook extends Book
{
    public protected(set) $title; // OK, as reading is wider and writing the same.
    public string $author; // OK, as reading is the same and writing is wider.
    public protected(set) int $pubYear; // Fatal Error. private(set) properties are final.
}
?>
]]>
     </programlisting>
    </example>
   </sect3>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 xml:id="language.oop5.visiblity-methods">
   <title>Method Visibility</title>
   <para>
    Class methods may be defined as public, private, or
    protected. Methods declared without any explicit visibility
    keyword are defined as public.
   </para>
   <example>
    <title>Method Declaration</title>
    <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
/**
 * Define MyClass
 */
class MyClass
{
    // Declare a public constructor
    public function __construct() { }

    // Declare a public method
    public function MyPublic() { }

    // Declare a protected method
    protected function MyProtected() { }

    // Declare a private method
    private function MyPrivate() { }

    // This is public
    function Foo()
    {
        $this->MyPublic();
        $this->MyProtected();
        $this->MyPrivate();
    }
}

$myclass = new MyClass;
$myclass->MyPublic(); // Works
$myclass->MyProtected(); // Fatal Error
$myclass->MyPrivate(); // Fatal Error
$myclass->Foo(); // Public, Protected and Private work


/**
 * Define MyClass2
 */
class MyClass2 extends MyClass
{
    // This is public
    function Foo2()
    {
        $this->MyPublic();
        $this->MyProtected();
        $this->MyPrivate(); // Fatal Error
    }
}

$myclass2 = new MyClass2;
$myclass2->MyPublic(); // Works
$myclass2->Foo2(); // Public and Protected work, not Private

class Bar 
{
    public function test() {
        $this->testPrivate();
        $this->testPublic();
    }

    public function testPublic() {
        echo "Bar::testPublic\n";
    }
    
    private function testPrivate() {
        echo "Bar::testPrivate\n";
    }
}

class Foo extends Bar 
{
    public function testPublic() {
        echo "Foo::testPublic\n";
    }
    
    private function testPrivate() {
        echo "Foo::testPrivate\n";
    }
}

$myFoo = new Foo();
$myFoo->test(); // Bar::testPrivate 
                // Foo::testPublic
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 xml:id="language.oop5.visiblity-constants">
   <title>Constant Visibility</title>
   <para>
    As of PHP 7.1.0, class constants may be defined as public, private, or
    protected. Constants declared without any explicit visibility
    keyword are defined as public.
   </para>
   <example>
    <title>Constant Declaration as of PHP 7.1.0</title>
    <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
/**
 * Define MyClass
 */
class MyClass
{
    // Declare a public constant
    public const MY_PUBLIC = 'public';

    // Declare a protected constant
    protected const MY_PROTECTED = 'protected';

    // Declare a private constant
    private const MY_PRIVATE = 'private';

    public function foo()
    {
        echo self::MY_PUBLIC;
        echo self::MY_PROTECTED;
        echo self::MY_PRIVATE;
    }
}

$myclass = new MyClass();
MyClass::MY_PUBLIC; // Works
MyClass::MY_PROTECTED; // Fatal Error
MyClass::MY_PRIVATE; // Fatal Error
$myclass->foo(); // Public, Protected and Private work


/**
 * Define MyClass2
 */
class MyClass2 extends MyClass
{
    // This is public
    function foo2()
    {
        echo self::MY_PUBLIC;
        echo self::MY_PROTECTED;
        echo self::MY_PRIVATE; // Fatal Error
    }
}

$myclass2 = new MyClass2;
echo MyClass2::MY_PUBLIC; // Works
$myclass2->foo2(); // Public and Protected work, not Private
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 xml:id="language.oop5.visibility-other-objects">
   <title>Visibility from other objects</title>
   <para>
    Objects of the same type will have access to each others private and
    protected members even though they are not the same instances. This is
    because the implementation specific details are already known when inside
    those objects.
   </para>
   <example>
    <title>Accessing private members of the same object type</title>
    <programlisting role="php" annotations="non-interactive">
<![CDATA[
<?php
class Test
{
    private $foo;

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

    private function bar()
    {
        echo 'Accessed the private method.';
    }

    public function baz(Test $other)
    {
        // We can change the private property:
        $other->foo = 'hello';
        var_dump($other->foo);

        // We can also call the private method:
        $other->bar();
    }
}

$test = new Test('test');

$test->baz(new Test('other'));
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
string(5) "hello"
Accessed the private method.
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </sect2>
 </sect1>
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