get_class

(PHP 4, PHP 5, PHP 7)

Returns the name of the class of an object

string get_class ([ object $object = NULL ] )

Gets the name of the class of the given object.

Parameters:

object

The tested object. This parameter may be omitted when inside a class.

Returns:

Returns the name of the class of which object is an instance. Returns FALSE if object is not an object.

If object is omitted when inside a class, the name of that class is returned.

Exception:

If get_class() is called with anything other than an object, an E_WARNING level error is raised.

Changelog:

5.3.0

NULL object NULL object

Examples:

Using get_class()

<?php
 
class foo {
    function name()
    {
        echo "My name is " , get_class($this) , "\n";
    }
}
 
// create an object
$bar = new foo();
 
// external call
echo "Its name is " , get_class($bar) , "\n";
 
// internal call
$bar->name();
 
?>

The above example will output:

Its name is foo
My name is foo

Using get_class() in superclass

<?php
 
abstract class bar {
    public function __construct()
    {
        var_dump(get_class($this));
        var_dump(get_class());
    }
}
 
class foo extends bar {
}
 
new foo;
 
?>

The above example will output:

string(3) "foo"
string(3) "bar"