Understanding Abstract Classes in PHP

Abstract classes are an often misunderstood feature of PHP object-oriented programming (OOP) and the source of confusion when considered versus an Interface. The obvious reason for using an Interface is that a child class can implement multiple interfaces but extend only a single abstract class. However, if multiple inheritance is not required then people often go with abstract classes just because they provide the option of later adding base functionality within the abstract class. This is not entirely unreasonable but the reasons for creating abstract classes should be more than that.
Why Use Abstract Classes?

An Abstract class provides concrete base functions as well as abstract functions that must be implemented by concrete child classes—binding them into a contract so to speak, if they wish to make use of the base functionality.

This is a subtle but important point and this is where abstract classes really shine. They can call abstract functions from within base concrete functions. Jumping straight to an example is the clearest way to explain this.

abstract class Animal {
  function greeting() {
    $sound = $this->sound();      // exists in child class by contract
    return strtoupper($sound);
  }
  abstract function sound();      // this is the contract
}

class Dog extends Animal {
  function sound() {              // concrete implementation is mandatory
    return "Woof!";
  }
}

$dog = new Dog();
echo $dog->greeting();            // WOOF!

This opens up a whole lot of interesting possibilities. For example, you can write a drive() function that calls $this->start(); $this->accelerate(); in an abstract class. Then create a motorcycle class that defines its own start() and accelerate() functions that may be different from those in the car class. In turn, the motorcycle and car can both be driven by just calling drive() without having to implement it locally.
Characteristics of Abstract Classes

Make a note of these characteristics to lock down your understanding of abstract classes:

• Single inheritance. Child classes can extend only one class at a time.
• Abstract classes cannot be instantiated — no new Animal();
• Abstract classes can define class variables of type const only.
• Abstract class A can be extended by another abstract class B. Abstract class B can implement none or any of the abstract functions in A.
• In the previous case, a child class C which extends abstract class B must implement all abstract functions in B as well as the abstract functions in A which have not already been implemented in B.
• The signature of the concrete functions and abstract functions must be the same. However, if an abstract function is defined as abstract function speak($greeting); then it is okay to implement it as function speak($greeting, $shout = FALSE) but not function speak($greeting, $shout).
• The visibility of functions in the child classes must be the same or less restrictive than the parent class. Thus, a protected abstract function can be implemented as either protected or public but not private.

Declaring functions as static abstract throws a strict warning in PHP 5.2 or earlier, however, as of PHP 5.3 this is allowed.

Difference between require, require_once, include and include_once

All these functions require, require_once, include and include_once are used to include the files in the php page but there is slight difference between these functions.

Difference between require, require_once, include, include_once
Difference between require and include is that if the file you want to include is not found then include function give you warning and executes the remaining code in of php page where you write the include function. While require gives you fatal error if the file you want to include is not found and the remaining code of the php page will not execute.

If you have many functions in the php page then you may use require_once or include_once. There functions only includes the file only once in the php page. If you use include or require then may be you accidentally add two times include file so it is good to use require_once or include_once which will include your file only once in php page. Difference between require_once and include_onceis same as the difference between require and include.

Different types of errors in PHP

Here are three basic types of runtime errors in PHP:

1. Notices: These are trivial, non-critical errors that PHP encounters while executing a script – for example, accessing a variable that has not yet been defined. By default, such errors are not displayed to the user at all – although you can change this default behavior.

2. Warnings: These are more serious errors – for example, attempting to include() a file which does not exist. By default, these errors are displayed to the user, but they do not result in script termination.

3. Fatal errors: These are critical errors – for example, instantiating an object of a non-existent class, or calling a non-existent function. These errors cause the immediate termination of the script, and PHP’s default behavior is to display them to the user when they take place.