Call an overridden method in parent class

[Alain Williams]

Summary: How to call an overridden non static method in the parent class ?

Calling an overridden static method is easy, just go: parent::MethodName().

The point is that I want to have the same 'output' method name in both classes,
so that whatever has one of them just calls $xxx->output() and it will work.

I want the method in the child class to use what the parent class has and just
add a bit to it. I don't want to duplicate a lot of code in class B that is
already in class A.

The way that I have a (hopefully temporary) workaround is to in class A have a
method do_output() that is called by A::output() and B::output(). That works,
but is clunky.

Is there a neat way of doing what I want ?



class A {
private $v_a;

// Does all sorts of things and returns a value
function output() {
return array('a' => $this->v_a);
}
}

class B extends A {
private $v_b;

// Takes what output() in class A returns, adds some more and returns that
function output() {
$ret = parent::output();
$ret['b'] = $this->v_b;
return $ret;
}
}


$var_a = new A;

$var_b = new B;

print_r($var_a->output());

// I want to see the value of v_a and v_b:
print_r($var_b->output());
--
Alain Williams
Linux/GNU Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT Lecturer.
[phone] http://www.phcomp.co.uk/
Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. Registration Information: http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php
#include <std_disclaimer.h>

[David Harkness]

Post by Alain Williams
Summary: How to call an overridden non static method in the parent class ?
Calling an overridden static method is easy, just go: parent::MethodName().

You use the same construct. The code you posted works fine. Try putting in
some values for those properties to make it more explicit, but here's the
output:

Array
(
[a] =>
)
Array
(
[a] =>
[b] =>
)

Cheers!
David

[Alain Williams]

Post by David Harkness

Post by Alain Williams
Summary: How to call an overridden non static method in the parent class ?
Calling an overridden static method is easy, just go: parent::MethodName().

You use the same construct. The code you posted works fine. Try putting in
some values for those properties to make it more explicit, but here's the

Drat! Why did that not work when I tried it in my more complex code ... tinker &
it now works.

Thanks, sorry for bothering.

Post by David Harkness
Array
(
[a] =>
)
Array
(
[a] =>
[b] =>
)
Cheers!
David

--
Alain Williams
Linux/GNU Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT Lecturer.
[phone] http://www.phcomp.co.uk/
Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. Registration Information: http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php
#include <std_disclaimer.h>