Static Method

Static methods are methods defined with the static keyword. They have to be called with the name of the class, rather than instantiated object.

<?php

    class X {
        static function foo() {
            echo __METHOD__;
        }
    }

    //displays x::foo
    x::foo();

?>

Documentation

See also When to use static methods, When Should You (And Shouldn’t You) Use Static Methods in Laravel/PHP? A Practical Guide and Static Methods in PHP: Practical Patterns, Pitfalls, and Production Guidance (2026).

Related : Method, Named Constructors, Scope Resolution Operator ::, Static Class, Static Property, Testable