What is the difference between using self and __CLASS__ in PHP when creating objects within a class?

When creating objects within a class in PHP, using `self` refers to the current class itself, while `__CLASS__` refers to the name of the class where it is used. If you want to refer to static properties or methods within the same class, you should use `self`. If you need to refer to the current class name dynamically, you can use `__CLASS__`. 

class MyClass {
    public static $property = 'value';
    
    public static function myMethod() {
        echo self::$property; // Access static property using self
        echo __CLASS__; // Access class name dynamically
    }
}

MyClass::myMethod(); // Output: valueMyClass

Keywords

self __CLASS__ PHP objects class

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