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Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL, 2nd Edition
book

Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL, 2nd Edition

by Hugh E. Williams, David Lane
May 2004
Intermediate to advanced
820 pages
24h 34m
English
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Content preview from Web Database Applications with PHP and MySQL, 2nd Edition

Chapter 14. Advanced Features of Object-Oriented Programming in PHP 5

In Chapter 4, we introduced the basic concepts of object-oriented programming, showing how classes are defined and how objects are created and used with PHP. The techniques shown in Chapter 4 can be used to help build reusable, modular code, and are applicable when using object-oriented packages such as the PEAR packages we describe in Chapter 7. However, much of the power of object-oriented programming doesn't come from simply reusing code.

In this chapter, we show some more powerful techniques available with object-oriented programming, including:

  • Class hierarchies

  • Polymorphic behavior

  • Class type hints

  • Abstract classes and interfaces

Working with Class Hierarchies

In Chapter 4, we showed you how inheritance can be used as a powerful tool in object-oriented programming. Using the extends keyword, a class can inherit the capabilities from a parent class. As we explained in Chapter 4, PHP allows an inheritance from only one parent class, but a class can be extended to create any number of child classes.

Inheritance allows functionality to be built up from related classes. Each class provides specialized support that's specific to a class's purpose. It's common that functionality in an object-oriented application is provided by class hierarchies rather than single, unrelated classes.

Example 14-1 shows how a class hierarchy is formed to provide functionality that describes shapes.

Example 14-1. Shape classes

<?php class ...
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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 0596005431Errata Page