Can I extend a class using more than 1 class in PHP?

Question

If you really want to fake multiple inheritance in PHP 5.3, you can use the magic function __call().

This is ugly though it works from class A user's point of view :

class B {
    public function method_from_b($s) {
        echo $s;
    }
}

class C {
    public function method_from_c($s) {
        echo $s;
    }
}

class A extends B
{
  private $c;
    
  public function __construct()
  {
    $this->c = new C;
  }
    
  // fake "extends C" using magic function
  public function __call($method, $args)
  {
    $this->c->$method($args[0]);
  }
}


$a = new A;
$a->method_from_b("abc");
$a->method_from_c("def");

Prints "abcdef"

You cannot have a class that extends two base classes. You could not have the following:

// this is NOT allowed (for all you google speeders)
Matron extends Nurse, HumanEntity

You could however have a hierarchy as follows...

Matron extends Nurse    
Consultant extends Doctor

Nurse extends HumanEntity
Doctor extends HumanEntity

HumanEntity extends DatabaseTable
DatabaseTable extends AbstractTable

and so on.

You could use traits, which, hopefully, will be available from PHP 5.4.

Traits is a mechanism for code reuse in single inheritance languages such as PHP. A Trait is intended to reduce some limitations of single inheritance by enabling a developer to reuse sets of methods freely in several independent classes living in different class hierarchies. The semantics of the combination of Traits and classes is defined in a way, which reduces complexity and avoids the typical problems associated with multiple inheritance and Mixins.

They are recognized for their potential in supporting better composition and reuse, hence their integration in newer versions of languages such as Perl 6, Squeak, Scala, Slate and Fortress. Traits have also been ported to Java and C#.

More information: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/traits

Classes are not meant to be just collections of methods. A class is supposed to represent an abstract concept, with both state (fields) and behaviour (methods) which changes the state. Using inheritance just to get some desired behaviour sounds like bad OO design, and exactly the reason why many languages disallow multiple inheritance: in order to prevent "spaghetti inheritance", i.e. extending 3 classes because each has a method you need, and ending up with a class that inherits 100 method and 20 fields, yet only ever uses 5 of them.

There are plans for adding mix-ins soon, I believe.

But until then, go with the accepted answer. You can abstract that out a bit to make an "extendable" class:

class Extendable{
  private $extender=array();

  public function addExtender(Extender $obj){
    $this->extenders[] = $obj;
    $obj->setExtendee($this);
  }

  public function __call($name, $params){
    foreach($this->extenders as $extender){
       //do reflection to see if extender has this method with this argument count
       if (method_exists($extender, $name)){
          return call_user_func_array(array($extender, $name), $params);
       }
    }
  }
}


$foo = new Extendable();
$foo->addExtender(new OtherClass());
$foo->other_class_method();

Note that in this model "OtherClass" gets to 'know' about $foo. OtherClass needs to have a public function called "setExtendee" to set up this relationship. Then, if it's methods are invoked from $foo, it can access $foo internally. It will not, however, get access to any private/protected methods/variables like a real extended class would.

Use traits as base classes. Then use them in a parent class. Extend it .

trait business{
  function sell(){

  }

  function buy(){

  }

  function collectMoney(){
  }

}

trait human{

   function think(){

   }

   function speak(){

   }

}

class BusinessPerson{
  use business;
  use human;
  // If you have more traits bring more
}


class BusinessWoman extends BusinessPerson{

   function getPregnant(){

   }

}


$bw = new BusinessWoman();
$bw ->speak();
$bw->getPregnant();

See now business woman logically inherited business and human both;

EDIT: 2020 PHP 5.4+ and 7+

As of PHP 5.4.0 there are "Traits" - you can use more traits in one class, so the final deciding point would be whether you want really an inheritance or you just need some "feature"(trait). Trait is, vaguely said, an already implemented interface that is meant to be just used.

---

Currently accepted answer by @Franck will work but it is not in fact multiple inheritance but a child instance of class defined out of scope, also there is the `__call()` shorthand - consider using just `$this->childInstance->method(args)` anywhere you need ExternalClass class method in "extended" class.

Exact answer

No you can't, respectively, not really, as manual of extends keyword says:

An extended class is always dependent on a single base class, that is, multiple inheritance is not supported.

Real answer

However as @adam suggested correctly this does NOT forbids you to use multiple hierarchal inheritance.

You CAN extend one class, with another and another with another and so on...

So pretty simple example on this would be:

class firstInheritance{}
class secondInheritance extends firstInheritance{}
class someFinalClass extends secondInheritance{}
//...and so on...

Important note

As you might have noticed, you can only do multiple(2+) intehritance by hierarchy if you have control over all classes included in the process - that means, you can't apply this solution e.g. with built-in classes or with classes you simply can't edit - if you want to do that, you are left with the @Franck solution - child instances.

...And finally example with some output:

class A{
  function a_hi(){
    echo "I am a of A".PHP_EOL."<br>".PHP_EOL;  
  }
}

class B extends A{
  function b_hi(){
    echo "I am b of B".PHP_EOL."<br>".PHP_EOL;  
  }
}

class C extends B{
  function c_hi(){
    echo "I am c of C".PHP_EOL."<br>".PHP_EOL;  
  }
}

$myTestInstance = new C();

$myTestInstance->a_hi();
$myTestInstance->b_hi();
$myTestInstance->c_hi();

Which outputs

I am a of A 
I am b of B 
I am c of C