your test results :

Fatal error: Using $this when not in object context..

and the code you mention cannot run in PHP4, since PHP doesn't have public, private modifiers...

what are you talking about ?

Look here: This happens in 4.xxx versions, and in 5.xxx, my code is for version 5.
I reported the first version i tested it. It equally falls on 4 an on 5.

Works fine both with 4.x and 5.x.
No bug here.

ok, try this

<?php

error_reporting(E_ALL);

class Foo {
        protected $__prv;
       
    public function Foo($v) {
        $this->__prv = $v;
    }
       
        public function prv() {
        return $this->__prv;
    }
       
        function tst() {
                Bar::babar();
        }
}

class Bar {

        public function babar() {
                print $this->prv();
        }
}

$foo = new Foo('PRV VALUE');
$foo->tst();

?>

This is expected and it was done in order to keep compatibility with 4.x.

Are there a piece of documentation describing this behavior? Thanks for reply!

Well, IMHO, such a behavior is violating the basics of OOP... Documentation is missing(am I right?). This is a BUG (a feature??? mmm...). In php4 (private & public modifiers missing), you may access every object field...
<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);
class Foo {
    protected $__prv;
    public function Foo($v) {
        $this->__prv = $v;
    }
    public function prv() {
        return $this->__prv;
    }
    function tst() {
        Bar::babar();
    }
}
class Bar {
    public function babar() {
        $this->__prv = 'a very very bad value'; /* IS IT OK???!!!*/
        print $this->prv();
    }
}
$foo = new Foo('PRV VALUE');
$foo->tst(); /* $foo->__prv is modified now!!!*/
?>

sorry, here is the php 4 code

<?php
error_reporting(E_ALL);

class Foo {
        var $__prv;
       
    function Foo($v) {
        $this->__prv = $v;
    }
       
        function prv() {
        return $this->__prv;
    }
       
        function tst() {
                Bar::babar();
        }
}

class Bar {

        function babar() {
                $this->__prv = 'a very very bad value';
                print $this->prv();
        }
}

$foo = new Foo('PRV VALUE');
$foo->tst();
?>

It's not related to public/private modifiers at all.
Static methods which were not declared as static inherit $this from the parent scope.
This is the only way to preserve backward compatibility with PHP4 and it won't change in PHP5.

You say : "Static methods which were not declared as static inherit $this from the parent scope". Did you say "PARENT SCOPE"???

Well, show me in the above code something like "class Bar extends Foo"... Foo isn't an ancestor for Bar class, and so Bar must not inherit $this from it. It's violating the OO paradigma, and it's a bug.

As ask you once again to point me to the documentation describing such a behavior and, most of all, explaining it.

Thanks!!!!

I didn't say a word about class inheritance.

function foo() {
//parent scope
bar(); //child scope inside
}
This is what I mean.

Feel free to invest some time into improving the documentation and explaining to others why it works the way it works. Please contact phpdoc@lists.php.net with all further questions.
And stop reopening the report, there is no bug.

Added E_STRICT warning in CVS HEAD and PHP_5_1.