Is $_var correct in PHP?

Question

What is $_var in PHP? Why is it used like this?

class User 
{
     private $_name;

     public function __construct() 
     {
          $this->_name = "Joseph Crawford Jr.";
     }

     public function GetName() 
     {
          return $this->_name;
     }
}

http://www.phpdynamic.com/guides/beginners/beginning-php-language-syntax/ — Anthony Forloney, Jul 05 '13 at 14:13
@user - **Please could you mark an answer as correct by 'ticking' it on the left**, if any were useful, else I'll delete - cheers. — Jimbo, Jul 24 '13 at 09:57

Jimbo · Answer 1 · 2013-07-05T14:50:27.490

6

Some developers like to prefix variables with underscores to show that they are private or protected class variables.

This isn't anything big, it's just opinion. If you want to stick to some 'standards', check out PSR.

edited Jul 05 '13 at 14:50

answered Jul 05 '13 at 14:12

Jimbo

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Isn't PSR for Autloading? How is that related here? – Madara's Ghost Jul 05 '13 at 14:21
@MadaraUchiha No, that's one part of it. There's PSR-0, 1 and 2, that covers naming conventions, brackets, autoloading, you name it! – Jimbo Jul 05 '13 at 14:21
Oh, I see. You linked to PSR-0 though :P – Madara's Ghost Jul 05 '13 at 14:45

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 05 '13 at 14:12

0

It just starts with an underscore to visually distinguish that it's a class field in this case. There is nothing special with such variables.

answered Jul 05 '13 at 14:12

Joey

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1

More likely, to indicate it's a property with limited visibility. – Gerry Jul 05 '13 at 14:13

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 05 '13 at 14:13

0

It's an older-style way of signifying a variable as protected or private in PHP4 when there was no differentiation between public, protected and private like there is in PHP5.

answered Jul 05 '13 at 14:13

Vivek Sadh

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Is $_var correct in PHP?

3 Answers3