[php] What does the variable $this mean in PHP?

I see the variable $this in PHP all the time and I have no idea what it's used for. I've never personally used it.

Can someone tell me how the variable $this works in PHP?

Lets see what happens if we won't use $this and try to have instance variables and constructor arguments with the same name with the following code snippet

<?php

class Student {
    public $name;

    function __construct( $name ) {
        $name = $name;
    }
};

$tom = new Student('Tom');
echo $tom->name;

?>

It echos nothing but

<?php

class Student {
    public $name;

    function __construct( $name ) {
        $this->name = $name; // Using 'this' to access the student's name
    }
};

$tom = new Student('Tom');
echo $tom->name;

?>

this echoes 'Tom'

This is long detailed explanation. I hope this will help the beginners. I will make it very simple.

First, let's create a class

<?php 

class Class1
{
    
}

You can omit the php closing tag ?> if you are using php code only.

Now let's add properties and a method inside Class1.

<?php 

class Class1
{
    public $property1 = "I am property 1";
    public $property2 = "I am property 2";

    public function Method1()
    {
        return "I am Method 1";
    }
}

The property is just a simple variable , but we give it the name property cuz its inside a class.

The method is just a simple function , but we say method cuz its also inside a class.

The public keyword mean that the method or a property can be accessed anywhere in the script.

Now, how we can use the properties and the method inside Class1 ?

The answer is creating an instance or an object, think of an object as a copy of the class.

<?php 

class Class1
{
    public $property1 = "I am property 1";
    public $property2 = "I am property 2";

    public function Method1()
    {
        return "I am Method 1";
    }
}

$object1 = new Class1;
var_dump($object1);

We created an object, which is $object1 , which is a copy of Class1 with all its contents. And we dumped all the contents of $object1 using var_dump() .

This will give you

object(Class1)#1 (2) { ["property1"]=> string(15) "I am property 1" ["property2"]=> string(15) "I am property 2" }

So all the contents of Class1 are in $object1 , except Method1 , i don't know why methods doesn't show while dumping objects.

Now what if we want to access $property1 only. Its simple , we do var_dump($object1->property1); , we just added ->property1 , we pointed to it.

we can also access Method1() , we do var_dump($object1->Method1());.

Now suppose i want to access $property1 from inside Method1() , i will do this

<?php 

class Class1
{
    public $property1 = "I am property 1";
    public $property2 = "I am property 2";

    public function Method1()
    {   
        $object2 = new Class1;
        return $object2->property1;
    }
}

$object1 = new Class1;
var_dump($object1->Method1()); 

we created $object2 = new Class1; which is a new copy of Class1 or we can say an instance. Then we pointed to property1 from $object2

return $object2->property1;

This will print string(15) "I am property 1" in the browser.

Now instead of doing this inside Method1()

$object2 = new Class1;
return $object2->property1;

We do this

return $this->property1;

The $this object is used inside the class to refer to the class itself.

It is an alternative for creating new object and then returning it like this

$object2 = new Class1;
return $object2->property1;

Another example

<?php 

class Class1
{
    public $property1 = 119;
    public $property2 = 666;
    public $result;

    public function Method1()
    {   
        $this->result = $this->property1 + $this->property2;
        return $this->result;
    }
}

$object1 = new Class1;
var_dump($object1->Method1());

We created 2 properties containing integers and then we added them and put the result in $this->result.

Do not forget that

$this->property1 = $property1 = 119

they have that same value .. etc

I hope that explains the idea.

This series of videos will help you a lot in OOP

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe30vg_FG4OSEHH6bRF8FrA7wmoAMUZLv

$this is a special variable and it refers to the same object ie. itself.

it actually refer instance of current class

here is an example which will clear the above statement

<?php
 class Books {
  /* Member variables */
  var $price;
  var $title;

  /* Member functions */
  function setPrice($par){
     $this->price = $par;
  }

  function getPrice(){
     echo $this->price ."<br/>";
  }

  function setTitle($par){
     $this->title = $par;
  }

  function getTitle(){
     echo $this->title ." <br/>";
  }
}
?> 

Generally, this keyword is used inside a class, generally with in the member functions to access non-static members of a class(variables or functions) for the current object.

1. this keyword should be preceded with a $ symbol.
2. In case of this operator, we use the -> symbol.
3. Whereas, $this will refer the member variables and function for a particular instance.

Let's take an example to understand the usage of $this.

<?php
class Hero {
    // first name of hero
    private $name;
    
    // public function to set value for name (setter method)
    public function setName($name) {
        $this->name = $name;
    }
    
    // public function to get value of name (getter method)
    public function getName() {
        return $this->name;
    }
}

// creating class object
$stark = new Hero();

// calling the public function to set fname
$stark->setName("IRON MAN");

// getting the value of the name variable
echo "I Am " . $stark->getName();
?>

OUTPUT: I am IRON MAN

NOTE: A static variable acts as a global variable and is shared among all the objects of the class. A non-static variables are specific to instance object in which they are created.

It refers to the instance of the current class, as meder said.

See the PHP Docs. It's explained under the first example.

I know its old question, anyway another exact explanation about $this. $this is mainly used to refer properties of a class.

Example:

Class A
{
   public $myname;    //this is a member variable of this class

function callme() {
    $myname = 'function variable';
    $this->myname = 'Member variable';
    echo $myname;                  //prints function variable
    echo $this->myname;              //prints member variable
   }
}

output:

function variable

member variable

when you create a class you have (in many cases) instance variables and methods (aka. functions). $this accesses those instance variables so that your functions can take those variables and do what they need to do whatever you want with them.

another version of meder's example:

class Person {

    protected $name;  //can't be accessed from outside the class

    public function __construct($name) {
        $this->name = $name;
    }

    public function getName() {
        return $this->name;
    }
}
// this line creates an instance of the class Person setting "Jack" as $name.  
// __construct() gets executed when you declare it within the class.
$jack = new Person("Jack"); 

echo $jack->getName();

Output:

Jack

The best way to learn about the $this variable in PHP is to try it against the interpreter in various contexts:

print isset($this);              //true,   $this exists
print gettype($this);            //Object, $this is an object 
print is_array($this);           //false,  $this isn't an array
print get_object_vars($this);    //true,   $this's variables are an array
print is_object($this);          //true,   $this is still an object
print get_class($this);          //YourProject\YourFile\YourClass
print get_parent_class($this);   //YourBundle\YourStuff\YourParentClass
print gettype($this->container); //object
print_r($this);                  //delicious data dump of $this
print $this->yourvariable        //access $this variable with ->

So the $this pseudo-variable has the Current Object's method's and properties. Such a thing is useful because it lets you access all member variables and member methods inside the class. For example:

Class Dog{
    public $my_member_variable;                             //member variable

    function normal_method_inside_Dog() {                   //member method

        //Assign data to member variable from inside the member method
        $this->my_member_variable = "whatever";

        //Get data from member variable from inside the member method.
        print $this->my_member_variable;
    }
}

$this is reference to a PHP Object that was created by the interpreter for you, that contains an array of variables.

If you call $this inside a normal method in a normal class, $this returns the Object (the class) to which that method belongs.

It's possible for $this to be undefined if the context has no parent Object.

php.net has a big page talking about PHP object oriented programming and how $this behaves depending on context. https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.basic.php

$this is a reference to the calling object (usually the object to which the method belongs, but possibly another object, if the method is called statically from the context of a secondary object).

It is the way to reference an instance of a class from within itself, the same as many other object oriented languages.

From the PHP docs:

The pseudo-variable $this is available when a method is called from within an object context. $this is a reference to the calling object (usually the object to which the method belongs, but possibly another object, if the method is called statically from the context of a secondary object).