What is object-oriented programming in PHP

Object-oriented programming (OOP) in PHP is a programming paradigm that uses 'objects' to design software applications. Objects represent real-world entities and encapsulate data and functionality, allowing for the creation of modular, scalable, and reusable code.

In OOP, the structure of a program is based on the concept of classes and objects. A class is a blueprint for creating objects, and an object is an instance of a class. OOP allows developers to build complex applications by breaking them down into smaller, manageable pieces.

Key features of OOP in PHP include:

  • Encapsulation: Bundling the data and methods that work on that data within one unit, or class.
  • Inheritance: Creating new classes that inherit properties and methods from existing classes.
  • Polymorphism: The ability to call the same method on different objects, with each object responding in its own way.

Here is a simple example of object-oriented programming in PHP:

<?php class Car { public $color; public $model; public $year; public function __construct($color, $model, $year) { $this->color = $color; $this->model = $model; $this->year = $year; } public function getCarInfo() { return "Car Model: " . $this->model . ", Color: " . $this->color . ", Year: " . $this->year; } } $myCar = new Car("Red", "Toyota", 2020); echo $myCar->getCarInfo(); ?>

Object-oriented programming PHP OOP classes objects encapsulation inheritance polymorphism