Do I use ($) before variable's names in a class?

[masood131]

Okay, I am really cofused on when to use ($) sign!

The book I am reading uses it as such:

notice the ($) is not used before the variable's name (attribute) in here inside the function operation, why?

class classname
{
  var $attribute;
  function operation($param)
  {
    $this->attribute = $param;  

    echo $this->attribute;
  }
}

Notice ($) is used for the variable's name ($name), why?

class classname
{

  var $attribute;
  function __get($name)
  {
     return $this->$name;
  }
  function __set($name, $value)
  {
    $this->$name = $value;
  }
}

any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Drakla]

In the second example $name is interpreted as the value that's in $name, so if you put in 'cheese' it would try to bring back the value of

$obj->__get('cheese');

returns $this->cheese,

If you didn't put in the $ then

$obj->__get('cheese')

would return $this->name;

And similarly if there were not $ in the __set function

__set($name, $value)
{
$this->name = $value;
}

Would always set the property name, not whatever you were passing, so

$obj->set('sugar');
$obj->set('puffs');

Would always set $obj->name; While running it with the $ creates the properties sugar and puffs within the object.

Hope that's not too much gobbledygook.

[masood131]

Drakla,

Thank you for your feed back. I kind of understand what you said. I just need some time to take in all the feed backs I got from here. I posted a few threads today!!

They warned me OO is challenging. I see why now!

Thank you for helping out. I read it again and post a thread if I didn't understand it.

Thanks again