new to php classes

[Ed Koren]

Hi everyone,

I am new to using classes in PHP development. Can someone tell me if
it's possible to use a class inside a class. I am developing a class
that will handle all aspects of MLS listings (real estate). Yet, I want
to use a PEAR class to extract images from .tar archives. Can I simply
include this PEAR class into my own class? Or is this bad practice,
perhaps?

Thanks in advance,

Ed

[Janwillem Borleffs]

Ed Koren wrote:

> I am new to using classes in PHP development. Can someone tell me if
> it's possible to use a class inside a class. I am developing a class
> that will handle all aspects of MLS listings (real estate). Yet, I
> want to use a PEAR class to extract images from .tar archives. Can I
> simply include this PEAR class into my own class? Or is this bad
> practice, perhaps?
>

Shure you can this, as long as you call the class static or use an object
instance to reference it:

class SomeClass {
function sayHello () {
print "hello";
}
}

// Static call to SomeClass
class StaticCaller {
function callSayHello () {
SomeClass::sayHello();
}
}

// Create object instance and use that
class InstanceCaller {
function callSayHello () {
$someclass = new SomeClass;
$someclass->sayHello();
}
}


HTH;
JW

[Chris Hope]

Ed Koren wrote:

> I am new to using classes in PHP development.**Can*someone*tell*me*if
> it's possible to use a class inside a class.**I*am*developing*a*class
> that will handle all aspects of MLS listings (real estate).**Yet,*I*want
> to use a PEAR class to extract images from .tar archives.**Can*I*simply
> include this PEAR class into my own class?**Or*is*this*bad*practice,
> perhaps?

You could be wanting to do one of two things.

The first is to inherit/derive a new class from an existing one eg:

class foo {
var $somevar;
function doSomething() {
}
}

class bar extends foo {
function doSomethingElse();
}

$bar = new bar();
$bar->doSomething(); // inherited method call
$bar->somevar = 1; // setting value of inherited property
$bar->soSomethingElse(); // calling method from new class


The second possibility (which I think is probably more along the lines of
what you are wanting to do) is to just have a class property which is
another class object eg:

class foo {
function doSomething() {
}
...
}

class bar {
var $foo;
function bar() {
$this->foo = new foo();
}
...
}

$bar = new bar();
$bar->foo->doSomething();

--
Chris Hope - The Electric Toolbox - [url]http://www.electrictoolbox.com/[/url]