PHP Static Properties

Introduction to Static Properties in PHP

In Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), static properties in PHP allow you to share data across all instances of a class. Unlike instance properties, static properties are bound to the class itself rather than to specific objects. This means that the value of a static property is shared among all instances of the class, making it useful for scenarios where a common value needs to be accessed or modified by all instances.

Declaring Static Properties

Static properties are declared using the static keyword. They can be accessed using the scope resolution operator ::, followed by the property name. Note that static properties are accessed through the class name rather than an instance of the class.

Modifying Static Properties

Static properties can be modified directly using the class name and the scope resolution operator. Any changes made to a static property will reflect across all instances of the class.

Static Properties in Inheritance

When dealing with inheritance, static properties are inherited by child classes. However, each class has its own copy of the static property. If the static property is modified in a subclass, it does not affect the static property in the parent class or other subclasses.

Practical Use Cases for Static Properties

Static properties are particularly useful in scenarios where you need a shared configuration or counter across multiple instances. For example, you could use a static property to keep track of the number of instances created by a class.