--TEST-- Unsetting and recreating protected properties. --FILE-- p); } function setProtected() { $this->p = 'changed'; } } class D extends C { function setP() { $this->p = 'changed in D'; } } $d = new D; echo "Unset and recreate a protected property from property's declaring class scope:\n"; $d->unsetProtected(); $d->setProtected(); var_dump($d); echo "\nUnset and recreate a protected property from subclass:\n"; $d = new D; $d->unsetProtected(); $d->setP(); var_dump($d); echo "\nUnset a protected property, and attempt to recreate it outside of scope (expected failure):\n"; $d->unsetProtected(); $d->p = 'this will fail'; var_dump($d); ?> --EXPECTF-- Unset and recreate a protected property from property's declaring class scope: object(D)#%d (1) { [%u|b%"p":protected]=> %unicode|string%(7) "changed" } Unset and recreate a protected property from subclass: object(D)#%d (1) { [%u|b%"p":protected]=> %unicode|string%(12) "changed in D" } Unset a protected property, and attempt to recreate it outside of scope (expected failure): Fatal error: Cannot access protected property %s::$p in %s on line 32