1.2.480. Fossilized Method

A method is fossilized when it is overwritten so often that changing a default value, a return type or an argument type is getting difficult.

This happens when a class is extended. When a method is overwritten once, it may be easy to update the signature in two places. The more methods are overwriting a parent method, the more difficult it is to update it.

This analysis counts the number of times a method is overwritten, and report any method that is overwritten more than 6 times. This threshold may be configured.

<?php

class x1 {
    // foo1() is never overwritten. It is easy to update.
    function foo1() {}

    // foo7() is overwritten seven times. It is hard to update.
    function foo7() {}
}

// classes x2 to x7, all overwrite foo7();
// Only x2 is presente here.
class x2 extends x1 {
    function foo7() {}
}

?>

Name	Default	Type	Description
fossilizationThreshold	6	integer	Minimal number of overwriting methods to consider a method difficult to update.

See also Method fossilization <https://www.exakat.io/en/method-fossilisation/>_.

1.2.480.1. Specs

Short name	Classes/FossilizedMethod
Rulesets	All, Class Review, Typechecks
Exakat since	2.0.6
PHP Version	All
Severity	Minor
Time To Fix	Quick (30 mins)
Precision	Very high
Features	fossilized-method
Available in	Entreprise Edition, Exakat Cloud