[Beginner Question] accesing outer variables inside a class

[elnaz1010]

hi

im very new to php, and i want to access a variable that is outside a class, but i cant

here is the code:

<?php
$name="Test";
class Person{
	var
	   $name="Amin";
	function getName() {
	   return $name;
	}
}
$obj=new Person();
echo $obj->getName();
?>

if i set "return $this" to "$this->name" it will give me "Amin".

but what i should do if i want the "Test" value?

 

thanks

[Goldeneye]

Give your getName() function a parameter like so:

<?php
function getName($name){
       //do stuff here
}
?>

 

That's how you would pass an outside variable into a function. (There are other ways, as well).

 

And that way, you can do this:

 

<?php
      $person_name = 'Mike';
      $obj->getName($person_name);
?>

[trq]

You need to pass the value into the object first. eg;

 

<?php

class Person {
  
  private $_name;
  
  public function setName($name)
  {
    $this->_name = $name;
  }

  public function getName()
  {
    return $this->_name;
  }

}

$name = 'Test';

$p = new Person;
$p->setName($name);
echo $p->getName();

[elnaz1010]

thank you Goldeneye.

but it seems i couldnt express my mean (sorry about that).

i was trying to access the outer $name (which has a "Test" value) in the class. so the getName function will return "Test" value.

but anyway i found the solution, so i say here, maybe someone come up with my problem.

i should use "global" keyword in my class function, so the code will be like:

<?php
$name="Test";
class Person{
	var
		$name="Amin";
	function getName() {
		global $name;
		return $name;
	}
}
$obj=new Person();
echo $obj->getName();
?>

 

 

thanks again

 

regards

 

Edit:

also thanks to "thorpe" who replied me while i was typing my second post

[trq]

If your going to start using globals you may as well stop using classes. The two are counter productive.

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Please DON'T use the global keyword to bring values into a CLASS. That breaks the general purpose nature of a class definition and you might as well not bother making a class (or a function) out of the code.

[elnaz1010]

excuse me, but im a bit confused.

if im not supposed to use globals, then what i should do in a situation like this?

i like to return "Test" with my getName function.

 

i know my questions is very newbie, please bear with me

 

thanks

[trq]

The question was answered several replies ago with examples.

 

The entire point of classes / objects is encapsulation. Polluting an object with global variables breaks that straight away.

[KevinM1]

excuse me, but im a bit confused.

if im not supposed to use globals, then what i should do in a situation like this?

i like to return "Test" with my getName function.

 

i know my questions is very newbie, please bear with me

 

thanks

 

Simply pass the outer variable to the object via a function:

 

class Person
{
   private $name;

   public function setName($name)
   {
      $this->name = $name;
   }

   public function getName()
   {
      return $this->name;
   }
}

$test = "test"
$person = new Person();
$person->setName($test);
echo $person->getName();

[trq]

excuse me, but im a bit confused.

if im not supposed to use globals, then what i should do in a situation like this?

i like to return "Test" with my getName function.

 

i know my questions is very newbie, please bear with me

 

thanks

 

Simply pass the outer variable to the object via a function:

 

class Person
{
   private $name;

   public function setName($name)
   {
      $this->name = $name;
   }

   public function getName()
   {
      return $this->name;
   }
}

$test = "test"
$person = new Person();
$person->setName($test);
echo $person->getName();

 

Well said. Did you see this reply?

[KevinM1]

excuse me, but im a bit confused.

if im not supposed to use globals, then what i should do in a situation like this?

i like to return "Test" with my getName function.

 

i know my questions is very newbie, please bear with me

 

thanks

 

Simply pass the outer variable to the object via a function:

 

class Person
{
   private $name;

   public function setName($name)
   {
      $this->name = $name;
   }

   public function getName()
   {
      return $this->name;
   }
}

$test = "test"
$person = new Person();
$person->setName($test);
echo $person->getName();

 

Well said. Did you see this reply?

 

LMAO, nope.  That will teach me to jump directly to the last message or two in a thread.

[trq]

Funny, the example is almost word perfect accept I always pre-pend private vars with an underscore. That was pretty much how I figured you didn't see it.

[roopurt18]

Not to beat this topic to death, but I'm going to request to elnaz that you forget the PHP global keyword exists.

 

If you ever, ever find yourself wanting to type global in your PHP code, then you need to come back here and ask us what the better way is.

 

Globals are worse than murdering kittens and puppies and Hell won't even admit people who use them.

[elnaz1010]

Not to beat this topic to death, but I'm going to request to elnaz that you forget the PHP global keyword exists.

 

If you ever, ever find yourself wanting to type global in your PHP code, then you need to come back here and ask us what the better way is.

 

Globals are worse than murdering kittens and puppies and Hell won't even admit people who use them.

hehe, you remind me of my "basic" language teacher, who was talking like you about using "goto" statement

ok mate, i will remember that

thanks all for helping me

 

have a good day

[roopurt18]

I can't really decide which is worse, globals or goto.  In any case, they don't exist and we don't know what they are!  We don't even talk about them!

 

What was this thread about again?