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PHP Interfaces

Interfaces in PHP are contracts that define a set of methods that a class must implement. They allow for a form of multiple inheritance, enabling a class to implement multiple interfaces.

Benefits of Using Interfaces

  • Enforces a contract: Classes that implement an interface must define all its methods.
  • Supports multiple inheritance: A class can implement multiple interfaces.
  • Promotes loose coupling: Interfaces allow for more flexible code and easier maintenance.

Example of Interfaces

<?php
interface Animal {
    public function speak();
}

class Cat implements Animal {
    public function speak() {
        return "Cat meows";
    }
}

class Dog implements Animal {
    public function speak() {
        return "Dog barks";
    }
}

$cat = new Cat();
echo $cat->speak(); // Outputs: Cat meows

$dog = new Dog();
echo $dog->speak(); // Outputs: Dog barks
?>

Output:

Cat meows
Dog barks

Explanation: In this example, the Animal interface defines a speak method. Both the Cat and Dog classes implement this interface and provide their own implementations of the speak method. When called, each class outputs its respective sound.

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