What is Static Access?

In PHP, when a property or method is marked as static, it belongs to the class itself rather than to individual objects created from the class. Static properties and methods are accessed directly from the class, without creating an instance.

Here's a simple example:

In this example:

• $staticProperty and staticMethod() are marked as static, meaning they belong to the Toy class itself.
• We can access them directly using the class name (Toy::$staticProperty and Toy::staticMethod()), without needing to create a Toy object.

2. Why Avoid Using Static?

Overusing static properties and methods can make your code confusing and less flexible. Here’s why:

• Shared data: Static properties are shared by all instances of the class. If you modify a static property, it affects all objects, which might lead to unintended changes.
• Lack of individuality: Static properties don’t allow each object to have its unique data.
• Testing challenges: Static properties and methods are harder to test individually, as they retain shared data across tests.

Here’s an example showing how this can create issues:

In this code:

• Setting Toy::setName("Toy Car"); changes the name for all Toy instances because $name is static.
• If $name was a regular property (not static), each toy object could have a unique name.

3. What to Do Instead

Instead of using static properties, make the property a regular instance property so each object can have unique values.

Here:

• Each Toy object can have a unique name (Toy Car for $toy1, Toy Robot for $toy2).
• By avoiding static, each object can keep its data separate, making the code more flexible and easier to understand.