PHP：重构具有不同返回类型的覆盖方法的好方法

Question

The return type of a method in a base class has changed. What is a good way to refactor the child method to keep its current return type?

In the following example there is the Database class, which now returns a date as a simple string. The inheriting class, on the other hand, overrides getDate and should still return a DateTime.

Note: The implementation in the base class cannot be changed.

Idea: Renaming the getDate method in the DoStuff class.

class Database
{
    public function getDate(): string
    {
        return '01-01-0001';
    }
}

class DoStuff extends Database
{
    public function getDate(): DateTime
    {
        return DateTime::createFromFormat('d-m-Y', parent::getDate());
    }
}

Are there best practices to solve such a problem? Many thanks for the help.

Answer 1

In that case, the simple way that i see is to create a function that do the conversion, that function would return the DateTime, and you wouldn't need override the getDate:

class DoStuff extends Database
{
    public function pickDate(): DateTime
    {
        return DateTime::createFromFormat('d-m-Y', $this->getTime());
    }
}

I hope i've helped