PHP: Invoke static method without class name

Question

I have simllar question like here: static-method-invocation, but in PHP. Simply, I want have class like this:

static class ClassName{
   static public function methodName(){
         //blah blah blah
   }
}

and I want to call member method without name od class like this:

require_once(ClassName.php);

methodName();

Is it possible in PHP? Thanks for your answers!

unless you supply a wrapper function, this won't be possible, no! Why would you need this? — rodneyrehm, Oct 30 '11 at 11:34
I would like to shorten my calling of hevy-used function. Name of class is really long and I need to use it on lot of lines. So, My idea was: create method with short name and call it without class name. — Ajax, Oct 30 '11 at 13:12
how about `use AbsurdlyElongatedClassName as A` then call with `A::method()`? — Andri, May 05 '18 at 10:16

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 30 '11 at 11:48

You can not do what you're looking for. The example call you give:

methodName();

Is calling a global function. Even static class functions are global as well, they always need the class-name to be called:

ClassName::methodName();

This calls the global static class function you've created in the include file.

I can only guess what you'd like to achieve, maybe you can benefit from the feature that includes can return values:

static class ClassName{
   static public function methodName(){
         //blah blah blah
   }
}
return 'ClassName';

Including:

$className = require_once(ClassName.php);
$className::methodName();

However this won't work with reguire_once when the file has been loaded earlier.

You can write a wrapper function to require_once files, store their return value into a global context array that keeps these values based on the file-name of the include.

Keep in mind that the java language differs from PHP. The equivalent to the java static function would be the global function in PHP:

function methodName(){
    //blah blah blah
}

Including:

require_once(ClassName.php);
methodName();

That's the PHP equivalent.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 27 '22 at 13:14

As of PHP 8.1, the (...) operator allows for the following syntax:

<?php

echo "Define a class...\n";

class ThisIsAContainer {
    public static function thisIsAMethod(){
        echo "This method does something.";
    }
}

echo "Grab the method...\n";

$function = ThisIsAContainer::thisIsAMethod(...);

echo "Run it:\n";

$function();

https://3v4l.org/gtEi9

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 30 '11 at 11:34

0

only way

$ClassName = 'MyClass';
require_once($ClassName.'.php');

$ClassName::methodName();

answered Oct 30 '11 at 11:34

Peter

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PHP: Invoke static method without class name

3 Answers3