Is it advisable to pass file names directly to methods like open() in PHP classes instead of using a separate setter method like setFile()?

It is generally advisable to use a separate setter method like setFile() to pass file names to methods in PHP classes instead of directly passing them to methods like open(). This approach follows the principle of encapsulation and helps in maintaining the code's readability and flexibility. By using setter methods, you can also perform validation or manipulation of the file names before passing them to the desired method. 

class FileHandler {
    private $file;

    public function setFile($file) {
        // Perform validation or manipulation if needed
        $this->file = $file;
    }

    public function openFile() {
        if (!isset($this->file)) {
            throw new Exception("File not set. Please use setFile() method to set the file.");
        }
        
        // Open the file using $this->file
        // Example: fopen($this->file, 'r');
    }
}

$fileHandler = new FileHandler();
$fileHandler->setFile('example.txt');
$fileHandler->openFile();

Keywords

PHP open() setter method file names classes

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