Make Method Static

The Make Method Static refactoring converts an instance method to a static one and automatically corrects all calls, implementations and overridings of the method.

Performing the Refactoring

1. Select the method to be refactored in the Structure view, or right-click the method name in the editor. On the main menu, or on the context menu of the selection, choose Refactor | Make Static. If your method does not need any parameters, nor rely on accessing properties or methods of this object, you will get the static method made silently, without displaying any dialog boxes:

   class MyClass { private function getFormattedDate() { $format = getSettings()['dateFormat']; return time($format); } }

   class MyClass { static private function getFormattedDate() { $format = getSettings()[ 'dateFormat' ]; return time( $format ); } }

   For more complicated cases, the Make Method Static dialog box opens.
2. If you currently use the existing object via this, select the Add object as a parameter with name checkbox to pass in an instance of the object via a parameter. In the text box below, specify the name of the parameter to be generated. After the refactoring, the new parameter will be documented in the PHPDoc block.

   class MyClass { private function getFormattedDate() { $format = $this->getSettings()['dateFormat']; return time($format); } }

   class MyClass { /** * @param MyClass $instance * @return */ static private function getFormattedDate($instance) { $format = $instance->getSettings()['dateFormat']; return time($format); } }

3. If you access the properties of the class, use the Add parameters for fields area to pass the value of the property as a parameter instead of accessing the object inside the newly created static method.
   1. Select the Add parameters for fields check box.
   2. In the Parameters list, which shows all the possibly suggested parameters, select the check boxes next to the ones that you want to pass the values in.

   class MyClass { private function getFormattedDate() { $format = $this->timeFormat; return time($format); } }

   class MyClass { /** * @param $timeFormat * @return int; */ static private function getFormattedDate($timeFormat) { $format = timeFormat; return time($format); } }

4. To preview the results, click Preview and examine the reuslt of the refactoring in the Find tool window. Apply the changes, if no issues arizs.