The PHP Static Property Trap: Why You Cannot Initialize With a Function Call

Refactoring a hardcoded static property in PHP, such as a log path, to be dynamically read from a configuration file seems straightforward but hides a common initialization trap. Directly calling a function in a static property declaration will lead to an error. This article delves into the PHP class loading mechanism behind this issue and provides three elegant solutions: lazy initialization (recommended), using constants, and the singleton pattern, helping you achieve flexible and maintainable code.