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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

Abstract Classes and Interfaces

When developing class hierarchies, it's often useful to insert extra classes to help logically organize code or to provide a base for polymorphic behavior.

The abstract keyword

Abstract classes are available in PHP5.

In Example 14-1, we defined a set of related classes to describe shapes that includes a base class Shape and its two member functions color( ) and sides( ). Let's suppose we want to add a function area( ) that calculates the area of a shape. If we want to allow the area to be calculated for all Shape objects, then the function must be made available in the Shape class.

However, unlike the color( ) and sides( ) functions, the area( ) function can only be implemented in the descendant classes because area calculations vary from shape to shape. The area of a circle is calculated using the radius, while a rectangle uses height and width, and so on. Using the abstract keyword, PHP5 allows you to define member functions without having to define an implementation. However, a class that contains an abstract function can't be used to create objects, and must also be defined as abstract. Example 14-2 shows how the Shapes class is redefined to include the abstract area( ) function.

Example 14-2. An abstract base class

<?php abstract class Shape { var $color; var $sides; function color( ) { return $this->color; } function sides( ) { return $this->sides; } abstract function area( ); function _ _construct($color, $sides) { $this->color = $color; $this->sides ...
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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 0596005431Errata Page