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I keep an abstract class definition in a directory called /classes. It looks like this:

abstract class baseController { protected $registry; //Obtain registry object protected function __construct($reg) { $this->registry = $reg; } protected function show() { } }

In the /controllers/ directory (they share the same parent folder) I have my specific controller class files. For instance,

class indexController extends baseController { public function show() { //render index page $this->registry->view->render('index'); }

}

I use two spl_autoload_register() calls in my config script to make sure that both directories are found when classes are needed - but when I try to instantiate indexController from my router.class.php file (which is in the /classes/ directory) I get the following error:

PHP Fatal error: Call to protected baseController::__construct() from context 'router'...

It's identifying the line: $this->controller = new indexController($this->registry); as the culprit.

The __construct is protected, but indexController should be inheriting from baseController and therefore, since the __construct method isn't redefined, it should be calling the parent classes constructor. Or so I thought.

What the heck is going on?

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You should use public definition in __construct method, since you instantiate the class outside the class context (ex in Router class).

This may work if you instantiate it inside another class that extends baseController.

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5 Comments

So, if I'm instantiating a class that extends a base class in the context of a third (unrelated) class, then I need to define the constructor method as public? I don't understand why that would be an issue, since the object I'm creating is still an extended version of the abstract class.
This worked, but I would love an explanation about why the child class was "out of context" in this case?
Imagine that when you call new indexController() it is like a shortcut of calling __construct() method for this class. So like other methods in classes it must be public if you call it outside of class context.
OH - I think I just got it. Even if indexController didn't extend another class, I couldn't instantiate it in a normal block of code because the __construct() method is protected, not public! Am I right?
Yes that 's right. If the __construct method is not public you cannot instatiate the class outside the class context.

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