Using namespaces: Aliasing/Importing

    (PHP 5 >= 5.3.0, PHP 7, PHP 8)

    The ability to refer to an external fully qualified name with an alias, or importing, is an important feature of namespaces. This is similar to the ability of unix-based filesystems to create symbolic links to a file or to a directory.

    PHP can alias(/import) constants, functions, classes, interfaces, traits, enums and namespaces.

    Aliasing is accomplished with the use operator. Here is an example showing all 5 kinds of importing:

    Example #1 importing/aliasing with the use operator

    <?php
    namespace foo;
    use     My\Full\Classname as Another;

    // this is the same as use My\Full\NSname as NSname
    use My\Full\NSname;

    // importing a global class
    use ArrayObject;

    // importing a function
    use function My\Full\functionName;

    // aliasing a function
    use function My\Full\functionName as func;

    // importing a constant
    use const My\Full\CONSTANT;

    $obj = new namespace\Another; // instantiates object of class foo\Another
    $obj = new Another; // instantiates object of class My\Full\Classname
    NSname\subns\func(); // calls function My\Full\NSname\subns\func
    $a = new ArrayObject(array(1)); // instantiates object of class ArrayObject
    // without the "use ArrayObject" we would instantiate an object of class foo\ArrayObject
    func(); // calls function My\Full\functionName
    echo CONSTANT; // echoes the value of My\Full\CONSTANT
    ?>
    Note that for namespaced names (fully qualified namespace names containing namespace separator, such as Foo\Bar as opposed to global names that do not, such as FooBar), the leading backslash is unnecessary and not recommended, as import names must be fully qualified, and are not processed relative to the current namespace.

    PHP additionally supports a convenience shortcut to place multiple use statements on the same line

    Example #2 importing/aliasing with the use operator, multiple use statements combined

    <?php
    use My\Full\Classname as Another, My\Full\NSname;

    $obj = new Another; // instantiates object of class My\Full\Classname
    NSname\subns\func(); // calls function My\Full\NSname\subns\func
    ?>

    Importing is performed at compile-time, and so does not affect dynamic class, function or constant names.

    Example #3 Importing and dynamic names

    <?php
    use My\Full\Classname as Another, My\Full\NSname;

    $obj = new Another; // instantiates object of class My\Full\Classname
    $a = 'Another';
    $obj = new $a; // instantiates object of class Another
    ?>

    In addition, importing only affects unqualified and qualified names. Fully qualified names are absolute, and unaffected by imports.

    Example #4 Importing and fully qualified names

    <?php
    use My\Full\Classname as Another, My\Full\NSname;

    $obj = new Another; // instantiates object of class My\Full\Classname
    $obj = new \Another; // instantiates object of class Another
    $obj = new Another\thing; // instantiates object of class My\Full\Classname\thing
    $obj = new \Another\thing; // instantiates object of class Another\thing
    ?>

    Scoping rules for importing

    The use keyword must be declared in the outermost scope of a file (the global scope) or inside namespace declarations. This is because the importing is done at compile time and not runtime, so it cannot be block scoped. The following example will show an illegal use of the use keyword:

    Example #5 Illegal importing rule

    <?php
    namespace Languages;

    function     toGreenlandic()
    {
    use     Languages\Danish;

    // ...
    }
    ?>

    Note:

    Importing rules are per file basis, meaning included files will NOT inherit the parent file's importing rules.

    Group use declarations

    Classes, functions and constants being imported from the same namespace can be grouped together in a single use statement.

    <?php

    use some\namespace\ClassA;
    use     some\namespace\ClassB;
    use     some\namespace\ClassC as C;

    use function     some\namespace\fn_a;
    use function     some\namespace\fn_b;
    use function     some\namespace\fn_c;

    use const     some\namespace\ConstA;
    use const     some\namespace\ConstB;
    use const     some\namespace\ConstC;

    // is equivalent to the following groupped use declaration
    use some\namespace\{ClassA, ClassB, ClassC as C};
    use function     some\namespace\{fn_a, fn_b, fn_c};
    use const     some\namespace\{ConstA, ConstB, ConstC};
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