PHP/mysqli undefined variable/empty property error -

i keep getting error "undefined variable: conn" , "cannot access empty property" when trying return database object $conn. database connection working, however. there better way return database object $this->$conn;?

class database {      private $host = "xxxx";     private $database = "xxxx";     private $user = "xxxx";     private $password = "xxxx";      public $conn = "";      function db_connect() {         try {             $conn = mysqli_connect($host,$user,$password,$database);             $conn;             echo "connected database";             echo "<br>";             return $conn;         }     catch(pdoexception $e)         {             echo 'connection failed:';             echo "<br>";             echo $e->getmessage();         } }  public function __construct(){     $this->db_connect();     return $this->$conn; } 

the line:

$conn = mysqli_connect($host,$user,$password,$database); 

should be:

$this->conn = mysqli_connect($host,$user,$password,$database); 

you should remove line:

return $this->$conn; 

first of all, constructors shouldn't return (php automatically returns new object). second, should $this->conn (with no $ before conn).

finally, line:

$conn; 

is both wrong , serves no purpose. rid of it.