PHP: get_called_class() vs get_class($this)

Question

In PHP what is the difference between get_called_class() and get_class($this) when used inside an instance?

Example:

class A {     function dump() {         echo get_called_class();         echo get_class($this);     } }  class B extends A {}  $A = new A(); $B = new B();  $A->dump(); // output is 'AA' $B->dump(); // output is 'BB' 

Is there any difference in this case?

When should I be using one or the other get_called_class() or get_class($this)?

Answer 1

In this case there's no difference, because $this always points to the correct instance from which the class name is resolved using get_class().

The function get_called_class() is intended for static methods. When static methods are overridden, this function will return the class name that provides the context for the current method that's being called.

Answer 2

For much faster alternative of get_called_class() in PHP >= 5.5, use static::class. It works to get the top level class for static method calls, as well as for inherited methods.