Using helper methods from Blade returning 'Cannot redeclare Class' error

Question

I am trying to call App\Http\Timeslot::isOpen() from my blade view but I don't understand how to call this without declaring the isOpen() as static. I can't declare it as static as I need to use $this->hours from the construct. If I don't declare it static laravel returns Cannot redclare Class error

Could someone suggest how I should write this so that I can still access the $this->hours variable?

Blade Template:

@if(App\Http\Timeslot::isOpen())
    We're open
@else
    We're closed
@endif

Timeslot Class

<?php namespace App\Http;

use App\OpeningHour;
use Carbon\Carbon;

class Timeslot
{
    protected $hours;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->hours = OpeningHour::all();
    }

    public static function isOpen()
    {
        // get current date
        Carbon::now()->format('w');
        $open_window =  $this->hours->get(Carbon::now()->format('w'));

        // is it over current days' opening hours?
        if(Carbon::now()->toTimeString() > $open_window->opening_time)
            return true;
        else
            return false;
    }
}

Answer 1

You could declare $hours as static too, and call a method inside isOpen() to retrieve/cache them.

Something like :

<?php namespace App\Http;

use App\OpeningHour;
use Carbon\Carbon;

class Timeslot
{
     static protected $hours = null;

     public static function getOpeningHours()
     {
         if (self::$hours == null) {
            self::$hours = OpeningHour::all();
         }
     }

     public static function isOpen()
     {
         self::getOpeningHours();

        // get current date
        Carbon::now()->format('w');
        $open_window = self::$hours->get(Carbon::now()->format('w'));

        // is it over current days' opening hours?
        if (Carbon::now()->toTimeString() > $open_window->opening_time)
            return true;
        else
            return false;
     }
 }

Like this, you don't have to use a constructor.

Another way to go (maybe a more 'Laravelish' way) would be to migrate your class into a Service provider : https://laravel.com/docs/5.3/providers

Look for "View composers", they are ways to inject data into your views.