note 87413 added to language.oop5.visibility

If you have problems with overriding private methods in extended classes, read this:) The manual says that "Private limits visibility only to the class that defines the item". That means extended children classes do not see the private methods of parent class and vice versa also. As a result, parents and children can have different implementations of the "same" private methods, depending on where you call them (e.g. parent or child class instance). Why? Because private methods are visible only for the class that defines them and the child class does not see the parent's private methods. If the child doesn't see the parent's private methods, the child can't override them. Scopes are different. In other words -- each class has a private set of private variables that no-one else has access to. A sample demonstrating the percularities of private methods when extending classes: abstract class base { public function inherited() { $this->overridden(); } private function overridden() { echo 'base'; } } class child extends base { private function overridden() { echo 'child'; } } $test = new child(); $test->inherited(); Output will be "base". If you want the inherited methods to use overridden functionality in extended classes but public sounds too loose, use protected. That's what it is for:) A sample that works as intended: abstract class base { public function inherited() { $this->overridden(); } protected function overridden() { echo 'base'; } } class child extends base { protected function overridden() { echo 'child'; } } $test = new child(); $test->inherited(); Output will be "child". ---- Server IP: 195.222.16.155 Probable Submitter: ::ffff:90.190.131.122 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.visibility.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/87413 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/87413 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/87413 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php