A Static Method Cannot Call A Non Static Method¶

<?php

class X {
    static function foo() {
        self::goo();
    }

    function goo() {    }
}

(new x)->foo();

It is known that a non-static method can call a static method. It is less known that a static method cannot call a non-static method, even if the static syntax is possible.

A non-static method needs a value for $this, which a static call doesn’t provide.

See Also¶

cannot call static [Try me]

PHP Features¶

Last updated: 14 July 2026