PHP Protected Keyword: Purpose Explained

In PHP, the keyword “protected” is used to specify that properties or methods in a class can be accessed by subclasses that inherit from it, but cannot be accessed directly by objects outside the class. This means that protected members can be accessed and used within subclasses, but not from outside the class itself.

The main purpose of using “protected” is to achieve encapsulation and inheritance. By using “protected,” we can control which members of a class can be inherited and accessed by subclasses, thereby improving code security and maintainability.