Why Do PHP Developers Use Leading Underscores in Class Methods?

Hidden Truths: The Leading Underscore in PHP Class Methods

When browsing PHP libraries, one might stumble upon class methods prefixed with a solitary underscore (_). Why do developers opt for this unconventional practice?

The origin of this peculiar habit lies in PHP's enigmatic past. Before PHP 4 graced the software world, defining protected or private methods was an impossibility. Thus, to implicitly convey the intended privacy of certain methods, developers resorted to prefixing them with an underscore (_). This practice served as a makeshift indicator of methods meant for internal use only.

Furthermore, some developers added an extra layer of emphasis by annotating these methods with /*private/, like an unspoken agreement to keep them shielded from external influence.

While this convention was borne out of necessity in the PHP 4 era, it has endured into modern times. Some programmers continue to utilize the leading underscore as a subtle reminder of intended privacy, despite the availability of dedicated visibility modifiers like private and protected.

It's worth noting that prefacing all class methods with underscores is an unconventional practice that lacks a clear rationale. However, the practice of using leading underscores to delineate internal methods holds historical significance and serves as a relic of an era when privacy enforcement relied on less formal mechanisms in PHP.

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