In what situations would using the return statement be a better approach than directly modifying variables in PHP classes?

Using the return statement is a better approach than directly modifying variables in PHP classes when you want to encapsulate your class properties and ensure data integrity. By returning values from methods, you can control how the data is accessed and modified, reducing the risk of unintended side effects or unexpected behavior. This approach also promotes better code organization and reusability. 

class User {
    private $name;

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

    public function getName() {
        return $this->name;
    }
}

$user = new User();
$user->setName("John Doe");
echo $user->getName(); // Output: John Doe

Keywords

return statement variables PHP classes situations modifying

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