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Error Identifier: method.abstractPrivate

Every error reported by PHPStan has an error identifier. Here’s a list of all error identifiers. In PHPStan Pro you can see the error identifier next to each error and filter errors by their identifiers.

Code example #

<?php declare(strict_types = 1);

abstract class HelloWorld
{
	abstract private function sayHello(): void;
}

Why is it reported? #

PHP does not allow private methods to be abstract. An abstract method is meant to be implemented by subclasses, but a private method cannot be accessed or overridden by subclasses. These two modifiers are contradictory, and PHP will produce a fatal error.

How to fix it #

Change the visibility to protected so the method can be implemented by subclasses:

 abstract class HelloWorld
 {
-	abstract private function sayHello(): void;
+	abstract protected function sayHello(): void;
 }

Non-ignorable error #

This error cannot be ignored using @phpstan-ignore or the ignoreErrors configuration. Non-ignorable errors indicate code that would cause a crash or a fatal error at runtime, or a fundamental problem in the analysed code that must be addressed.

Rules that report this error #

  • PHPStan\Rules\Methods\AbstractPrivateMethodRule [1]

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