Easy way to remember $this

I remember it like this. So, you are basically referring to the properties of 'this' object. Not any other object, but this object that you're currently working on.

So I think this is the way it goes... for example, let's say you have a class called Fruit.

So you create a new instance of that class, which is an object called Apple.

The newly created object called $apple basically belongs to the Fruit class (or category).

When you create the object called Apple, since it's a Fruit, it should have all the properties of a fruit. Or else you couldn't call it a fruit.

Maybe one of the properties is of the Apple that it gets as a fruit is $seed. Since one of the requirements to be a fruit is that you need to have seeds.

So the newly created Apple object comes along with the $seed property.

The $seed property tells you how many seeds are in the fruit.

Every fruit has a different number of seeds.

So let's say the class also contains a function that echos the number of seeds available. And that passes over to the object (in this case $apple), which means you can echo the number of seeds in $apple too. Along with any other new Fruit created.

So you already know that, every time you create a new object (like $apple), it receives all the functions and properties of the main class (in this case, Fruit).

So if the Fruit class contains $seed property, and number_of_seeds() method. Anything created as part of the Fruit class will also get the $seed property and number_of_seeds() method too.

In this example, the new $apple object (created from the Fruit class) gets the $seed property and number_of_seeds() method as part of being in the Fruit class.

However, when it receives (or I think it's called inherits) these properties and methods, there needs to be a way to refer to them.

So for example, let's say we had this original method/function within the class:

public function number_of_seeds() { return "Number Of Seeds: ". ???? ->seed; }

What should you replace the question marks (????) with, so that every time a newly created object receives this function as part of being of the class, it makes it easy to pass down?

If you did this:

public function number_of_seeds() { return "Number Of Seeds: ". fruit->seed; }

Then it wouldn't make sense. Because if I call:

echo $apple->number_of_seeds();

I don't want to know the number of seeds in simply any fruit in general (fruit->seed).

I want specifically to know the number of seeds in THIS $apple. And only this $apple.

That's why it makes sense to replace the ???? with "this":

public function number_of_seeds() { return "Number Of Seeds: ". this ->seed; }

If I created an object called $peach of the Fruit class, then it would also inherit/get this method as a member of the Fruit class:

public function number_of_seeds() { return "Number Of Seeds: ". this ->seed; }

And so, using this method/function, I could automatically call and get the number of seeds in THIS peach. Without any additional references.

Sorry if I made it even more confusing for you. Ha ha.

Hopefully not.