<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- $Revision$ -->
<refentry xml:id="function.class-parents" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>class_parents</refname>
  <refpurpose>
   Return the parent classes of the given class
  </refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type class="union"><type>array</type><type>false</type></type><methodname>class_parents</methodname>
   <methodparam><type class="union"><type>object</type><type>string</type></type><parameter>object_or_class</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>bool</type><parameter>autoload</parameter><initializer>&true;</initializer></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <para>
   This function returns an array with the name of the parent classes of
   the given <parameter>object_or_class</parameter>.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>object_or_class</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       An object (class instance) or a string (class name).
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>autoload</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Whether to <link linkend="language.oop5.autoload">autoload</link>
       if not already loaded.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   An array on success, or &false; when the given class doesn't exist.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>class_parents</function> example</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php

class foo { }
class bar extends foo {}

print_r(class_parents(new bar));

// you may also specify the parameter as a string
print_r(class_parents('bar'));

spl_autoload_register();

// use autoloading to load the 'not_loaded' class
print_r(class_parents('not_loaded', true));

?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
    &example.outputs.similar;
    <screen>
<![CDATA[
Array
(
    [foo] => foo
)
Array
(
    [foo] => foo
)
Array
(
    [parent_of_not_loaded] => parent_of_not_loaded
)
]]>
    </screen>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="notes">
  &reftitle.notes;
  <note>
   <simpara>
    To check that an object extends a class, &instanceof;
    or the <function>is_a</function> function should be used instead.
   </simpara>
  </note>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><function>class_implements</function></member>
    <member><function>is_a</function></member>
    <member>&instanceof;</member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>
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