classes in separate files?

[sylvertwst]

hello all,

i was wondering what you would consider best practise to do: when i have multiple classes, i was thinking of making one php file per category, for example i would have one database connection class and a query class in dbconnect.php, and then user class and login class in user.php. is this a good way of doing things? would yousuggest a new document for each class used? one document for all classes in a single class library?

 

thanx in advance

beginner OO php

Sylvertwyst

[Daniel0]

I think it's better with one class per file. Otherwise you might end up with huge files. It's also easier to load e.g. the class User if you know it is in User.php.

[PFMaBiSmAd]

And you can use the autoload function to cause the file to be loaded when you create an instance of the class - http://us.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.autoload.php

[Mchl]

I do one class per file. Together with SPL autoloading feature works nice.

[sylvertwst]

cool! thanks for the tip on autoload.

 

when i make a new class that implements another class or interface, can i use separate files as well, do i need to use the autoload function at the top of eacth class file then? or should parent/child classes go in the same document still?

[Mchl]

I have this in autoload.php

 

function classAutoload($class_name) {
require_once("class.".$class_name.".php");
}

spl_autoload_register('classAutoload');

 

and then I just include('autoload.php') on top of each script. Of course all my classes are in files called 'class.classname.php'

 

 

Classes extending parent classes should have their own files.

[sylvertwst]

thank you very much. i will adopt your way of naming

 

on a side note, did you just tell php to use classAutoload() instead of __autoload() to autoload the classes?

 

ps: DanielO i like your signature. particulary the how to ask questions faq link

[Mchl]

on a side note, did you just tell php to use classAutoload() instead of __autoload() to autoload the classes?

 

Almost. This way you can actually have more than autoload function, and PHP will try to use all of them one after another. Useful if you use some third party code, that use autoloading as well.

[sylvertwst]

i can see the use of it

 

thank you for the swift answers everyone

 

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