Learning PHP classes

[BahBah]

Hi

 

I'm trying to build my own User class. It is going ok so far, but I am struggling with inheritence.

 

class user {
  private $profile = array { 'userID', 'firstname', 'surname' };
}

class primaryUser extends user {
  private $additionalFields = array{ 'a', 'b' };
}

 

A primary user is intended to have all of the properties and access to user's methods. However I want to extend the $profile array in user to incorporate the $additionalFields. I am unsure how to do this, and if I am even going about this the right way ? I was intending to go further by extending the user class for any other special user circumstances.

 

The $profile array is used to keep track of what fields are required for a user to be submitted to the database.

 

I hope this makes sense.

 

Thanks for any help you can offer me.

[Alex]

First off, if you're using the keyword private in your user class any class that extends it will not inherit it. Instead, for this purpose, you should use protected.

 

To add to the profile array in the classes that extend user you can user array_merge. Example:

 

class user
{
protected $profile = array ('userID', 'firstname', 'surname');
}

class primaryUser extends user
{
public function __construct()
{
	$this->profile = array_merge($this->profile, array ('a', 'b'));
	print_r($this->profile);
}
}

 

Output:

Array
(
    [0] => userID
    [1] => firstname
    [2] => surname
    [3] => a
    [4] => b
)

[Buddski]

<?php 

class user {
  protected $profile = array('userID', 'firstname', 'surname');
}

class primaryUser extends user {
  private $additionalFields = array('a', 'b');
  function __construct() {
  	$this->profile = array_merge($this->profile,$this->additionalFields);
  }
  function output() {
  	echo '<pre>';
  	print_r($this->profile);
  	echo '</pre>';
  }
}

$user = new primaryUser();
$user->output();

?>

 

Edit: Was beaten to it

[BahBah]

Thank you both

 

Instead, for this purpose, you should use protected.

 

Does this mean that if I:

 

$user = new primaryUser();

 

will all the methods in the user class still function correctly. But if I were to make some methods that affect/use the methods or data in the user class I would need to make the methods and variables protected ?

 

Thanks for your assistance.

[Alex]

Check out this page

 

Basically, if the methods are public/protected they will be inherited, but if they're private they will not.

[BahBah]

Thank you for your help