Can i access variables of parent class using parent:: keyword ??

Question

In PHP.net, There is an explanation about parent keyword

" You may find yourself writing code that refers to variables and functions in base classes. This is particularly true if your derived class is a refinement or specialisation of code in your base class.

Instead of using the literal name of the base class in your code, you should be using the special name parent, which refers to the name of your base class as given in the extends declaration of your class. "

But i am unable to use the parent keyword to access the property of the class

<php
    class Fish
    {
        public $common_name = 'Mamba'

    }

    class Trout extends Fish
    {

      public function getInfo()
      {
        return parent::$common_name;
      }
    }

    $brook_trout = new Trout();
    echo $brook_trout->getInfo();
?>

Its giving an error

Fatal error: Access to undeclared static property: Fish::$common_name

Can anyone explain, Why ?

Answer 1 · 2015-05-01T13:02:05Z

May 1, 2015 1:02pm

Your Trout class extends your Fish class, this means that all its properties are also inherited.

To access the common_name variable, simple call it as a member variable, in scope with your Trout class as follows:

$this->common_name;

If you were to have called the function statically, this would not have worked because the '->' operator only worked for instantiated objects.

Helpful similar question on stackoverflow: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6456939/php-accessing-parent-class-variable

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Aman Kumar

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Can i access variables of parent class using parent:: keyword ??

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Chris McKirgan

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