If I have an instance in PHP, what's the easiest way to get to a static property ('class variable') of that instance ?

This

```
$classvars=get_class_vars(get_class($thing));
$property=$classvars['property'];

```

Sound really overdone. I would expect

```
$thing::property

```

or

```
$thing->property

```

> 
> EDIT: this is an old question. There are more obvious ways to do this in newer
>  PHP, search below.
> 
> 
>