Global Variables

IndianaRogers

In response to a thread about global variables one user responded to me that:

"Using variables only in OOP/classes is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Any other coments about this?

ahundiak

The first thing to do would be to translate the sentence into english. Then perhaps it's merits could be discussed. Taken literally, I agree that it's tough to do any kind of programing if all you have are variables.

As far as being the most ridiculous thing ever heard, the writer has obviously never heard any of the Clinton excuses.

urneegrux

I was the author of that comment, and am I wrong? Using variables ONLY in an object-oriented environment just sounds silly, you obviously use them in other areas of your code which aren't object-oriented.

ahundiak

I am still not following the grammer. Are you saying that trying to write non-oop code without variables is silly? Of course I agree with that. Programing without variables is almost as hard as programing with only variables.

I guess I just don't understand the context.

keith73

This was the post being responded to in the other thread.

http://www.phpbuilder.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=10223898

I have read (somewhere?) that all variable should only be used within classes. Is that a common/desirable practice?

when reading that post, the second does become clearer. Using variables only in classes and not anywhere else isn't standard practice. I guess if you're using classes, then all variables relevant to the class should remain within that class and not saved to a new variable, i.e. $thisvar = $classname->thatvar Unless there is a specific meaning.

I think the original statement may also have been taken out of context. IF we knew where it came from, maybe we could all make better informed decisions to the question.

keith

ahundiak

Yikes.

That was a sad thread. Globals and registering variables are two different things.

Some languages such as Java require that all variables be inside of classes. No choice and it works well.

Other languages such as C++ do allow stand alone global variables. As a general rule, globals are frowned upon. Globals have their place but it's usually better to wrap them up in classes in C++.

Php has some object oriented features but is not a object oriented language per se. I still like to minimize globals but they are more common in php. And there is really nothing wrong with that. It's just the way php was designed.