Practical Examples of OOP in PHP: Real-World Applications

Understanding Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that revolves around the concept of “objects.” It’s a way to model real-world entities and their interactions within software applications. Let’s delve into the core concepts of OOP:

Classes and Objects

  • Classes: A blueprint or template for creating objects. It defines the properties (attributes) and behaviors (methods) that objects of that class will have.   1. edurev.in edurev.in
  • Objects: Instances of a class. They represent real-world entities and have their own unique values for the properties defined in the class.
class Car {
    public $color;
    public $model;

    public function start() {
        echo "Car started.";
    }
}

// Creating objects
$car1 = new Car();
$car1->color = "red";
$car1->model = "Corolla";

$car2 = new Car();
$car2->color = "blue";
$car2->model = "Camry";
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Inheritance

Inheritance allows you to create new classes (child classes) that inherit properties and methods from existing classes (parent classes). This promotes code reusability and creates hierarchical relationships.

class Vehicle {
    public $color;

    public function start() {
        echo "Vehicle started.";
    }
}

class Car extends Vehicle {
    public $model;

    public function openRoof() {
        echo "Roof opened.";
    }
}
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Polymorphism

Polymorphism means “many forms.” It allows objects of different types to be treated as if they were of the same type. It’s achieved through method overriding and method overloading.

  • Method overriding: A child class redefines a method from the parent class.
  • Method overloading: A class has multiple methods with the same name but different parameters. (Note: PHP doesn’t support true method overloading.)

Encapsulation

Encapsulation is the bundling of data (properties) and methods that operate on that data within a single unit (class). It protects data from outside interference and ensures data integrity.

class BankAccount {
    private $balance;

    public function deposit($amount) {
        $this->balance += $amount;
    }

    public function withdraw($amount) {
        if ($this->balance >= $amount) {
            $this->balance -= $amount;
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }
}
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By understanding these core OOP concepts, you’ll be well-equipped to build more organized, reusable, and maintainable PHP applications. In the next article, we’ll explore practical examples of OOP in PHP.

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