Basics

PHP Inheritance

Class Inheritance in PHP

PHP inheritance uses extends, with final to prevent overriding.

Understanding Inheritance in PHP

Inheritance is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming. It allows a class to inherit properties and methods from another class. In PHP, inheritance is implemented using the extends keyword. This enables you to create a new class based on an existing class, promoting code reuse and a hierarchical class structure.

Basic Syntax of Inheritance

To use inheritance in PHP, you define a new class that extends an existing class. The class from which properties and methods are inherited is called the parent class, and the class that inherits is called the child class.

Overriding Methods in a Child Class

In PHP, a child class can override the methods of its parent class. To do so, you simply define a method with the same name in the child class. This is a powerful feature, allowing you to alter or extend the behavior of parent class methods.

Using the final Keyword

The final keyword in PHP is used to prevent a class from being inherited or a method from being overridden. If you declare a class as final, no other class can extend it. Similarly, if you declare a method as final, child classes cannot override it.

Conclusion

Understanding inheritance in PHP is crucial for building scalable and maintainable software. It allows you to create a clear hierarchy of classes and reuse code efficiently. Remember to use the final keyword judiciously to protect critical parts of your code from being altered unintentionally.

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