Question

if I have methods like

function getVar1(){
  return $this->var1;
}

function getVar2(){
  return $this->var2;
}

and so on…

and these vars are meant to be printed on the screen, is it a good idea to create additional methods that directly print them?

like

   function Var1(){
     echo $this->getVar1();
   }

   function Var2(){
     echo $this->getVar2();
   }

or should I stick with calling echo getVar1() where I need them?

Answer 1

Functions should do what their name implies. It’s one of the core design principles. When you say getVar(), it does what it’s meant to do: return a variable.

In your example, you are not even specifying what the function does. If you want to have a function that prints something, then call it printVar1() or something like that.

On the other hand, I have to agree with ThiefMaster. You can just use echo getVar1() instead of creating bigger classes. Especially in an interpreted language like PHP(where classes add more overhead than a compiled language).