understanding functions and classes

[CyberShot]

class person {
var $name = "Jimmy Goe";

function get_name(){

	echo $this->name;
}
}

 

  I am playing with this very small script that I made using a tutorial. I can get the script to echo out the name using the code above. What I don't get is why I can't do this

 

class person {
var $name;

function get_name(){
	$name = "Jimmy Goe"
	echo $this->name;
}
}

 

then of course in my index page, I am calling it like this

$joe = new person();

$joe->get_name();

 

If you decide to answer this question, please be as detailed as possible, I am a newb as you can see and the more information you give or the simpler the explanation, the better.

 

Thanks for helping

[joel24]

i think its because of the scope of a function.

i.e.

function get_name(){
      $name = "Jimmy Goe"
      echo $this->name;
   }

 

$name within the function and $name in the class are two separate variables, because the scope of a variable within a function is local..

 

 

try

 

function get_name(){
      $this->name = "Jimmy Goe"
      echo $this->name;
   }

[CyberShot]

yes, that works. but it defeats the purpose of the variable in the class. What I am trying to learn here is why the variables are assigned in the class. I thought it was because they were to be properties for the methods. $this only gives access to the method and not the class right?

[trq]

$this refers to the instance of the class. So when you say $this->name you are referring to the name property defined within that object.

[joel24]

read up on it,

http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.basic.php

[CyberShot]

while reading this stuff it usually always prompts a question. I was following a tutorial where it was being explained in a video. But they always leave something out which promtps the questions