What is the difference between accessing a static property and an instance property in PHP classes?

When accessing a static property in a PHP class, you use the scope resolution operator (::) followed by the property name. This allows you to access the property without needing an instance of the class. On the other hand, when accessing an instance property, you need to create an object of the class and then use the arrow operator (->) to access the property. 

class MyClass {
    public static $staticProperty = 'Static Property';
    public $instanceProperty = 'Instance Property';
}

// Accessing static property
echo MyClass::$staticProperty;

// Accessing instance property
$obj = new MyClass();
echo $obj->instanceProperty;

Keywords

static property instance property PHP classes object-oriented programming scope

Related Questions