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Add method to ReflectionClass to instantiate with the same semantics as PDOStatement::fetchObject() #19401

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Add method to ReflectionClass to instantiate with the same semantics as PDOStatement::fetchObject() #19401

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4066651
Add a `ReflectionClass::newInstanceFromData()` method that behaves th…
mattdinthehouse Aug 7, 2025
f33b64e
Update ext/reflection/php_reflection.stub.php
mattdinthehouse Aug 7, 2025
0380b54
fix build now that we don't have a tentative return type
mattdinthehouse Aug 8, 2025
87572e9
prevent users from instantiating internal classes from data because i…
mattdinthehouse Aug 8, 2025
16b685d
there we go - now i know how stub files work
mattdinthehouse Aug 8, 2025
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61 changes: 61 additions & 0 deletions ext/reflection/php_reflection.c
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -5127,6 +5127,67 @@ ZEND_METHOD(ReflectionClass, newInstanceArgs)
}
/* }}} */

/* {{{ Returns an instance of this class whose properties are filled with the given data before the constructor is called */
ZEND_METHOD(ReflectionClass, newInstanceFromData)
{
reflection_object *intern;
zend_class_entry *ce;
int argc = 0;
HashTable *data, *args = NULL;
zend_function *constructor;
zend_string *key;
zval *val;

GET_REFLECTION_OBJECT_PTR(ce);

if (ce->type == ZEND_INTERNAL_CLASS) {
zend_throw_exception_ex(reflection_exception_ptr, 0, "Class %s is an internal class that cannot be instantiated from data", ZSTR_VAL(ce->name));
RETURN_THROWS();
}

ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(1, 2)
Z_PARAM_ARRAY_HT(data)
Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
Z_PARAM_ARRAY_HT(args)
ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();

if (args) {
argc = zend_hash_num_elements(args);
}

if (UNEXPECTED(object_init_ex(return_value, ce) != SUCCESS)) {
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if the initialization isn't successful, we should confirm that there is an exception, and then RETURN_THROWS()

return;
}

ZEND_HASH_FOREACH_STR_KEY_VAL(data, key, val) {
zend_update_property_ex(ce, Z_OBJ_P(return_value), key, val);
} ZEND_HASH_FOREACH_END();

const zend_class_entry *old_scope = EG(fake_scope);
EG(fake_scope) = ce;
constructor = Z_OBJ_HT_P(return_value)->get_constructor(Z_OBJ_P(return_value));
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This may throw for internal classes.

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It's the same code used by newInstance and newInstanceArgs which I'm thinking of refactoring into a shared function to cut the duplication, so would make sense to handle instantiating internal classes there but could be considered a breaking change?

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Not sure whether that's really a BC break? It would be throwing an exception either way?

We had a discussion a while ago with @DanielEScherzer and I think @nielsdos that it would probably be better to do something to fix the semantics regarding failing get_constructor, as various other places assume that you can even just check the constructor pointer on the CE.

Probably the best solution is that if the constructor field on the CE is NULL it means that it is not instantiable, and to set that field for classes that do not have a constructor to the zend_pass_function (which is what get's "called" anyway in those cases) but the downside of this approach is that you stop getting useful errors telling you how to get such an object (e.g. curl_init() for CurlHandle objects)

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@mattdinthehouse mattdinthehouse Aug 8, 2025 •
edited
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Oh I see what you mean - because this method sets properties before calling constructors that can have weird (and potentially vulnerable) behaviour.

I've added a check for ce->type == ZEND_INTERNAL_CLASS similar to newInstanceWithoutConstructor() to prevent using newInstanceFromData() for internal classes entirely.

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That discussion is at #17796

Just so that I understand the semantics correctly, is there any difference between the proposed function and something like (class is given as an argument but would be from $this)

function newInstanceFromData(string $class, array $data, array $args = []) {
	$ref = new ReflectionClass($class);
	$instance = $ref->newInstanceWithoutConstructor();

	foreach ($data as $propName => $val) {
		$propAccess = $ref->getProperty($propName);
		$propAccess->setValue($instance, $val);
	}
	
	$instance->__construct(...$args);
	
	return $instance;
}

EG(fake_scope) = old_scope;

/* Run the constructor if there is one */
if (constructor) {
if (!(constructor->common.fn_flags & ZEND_ACC_PUBLIC)) {
zend_throw_exception_ex(reflection_exception_ptr, 0, "Access to non-public constructor of class %s", ZSTR_VAL(ce->name));
zval_ptr_dtor(return_value);
RETURN_NULL();
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should be RETURN_THROWS()

}

zend_call_known_function(
constructor, Z_OBJ_P(return_value), Z_OBJCE_P(return_value), NULL, 0, NULL, args);

if (EG(exception)) {
zend_object_store_ctor_failed(Z_OBJ_P(return_value));
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and also RETURN_THROWS()

}
} else if (argc) {
zend_throw_exception_ex(reflection_exception_ptr, 0, "Class %s does not have a constructor, so you cannot pass any constructor arguments", ZSTR_VAL(ce->name));
}
}
/* }}} */

void reflection_class_new_lazy(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS,
int strategy, bool is_reset)
{
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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions ext/reflection/php_reflection.stub.php
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Expand Up @@ -370,6 +370,8 @@ public function newInstanceWithoutConstructor(): object {}
/** @tentative-return-type */
public function newInstanceArgs(array $args = []): ?object {}

public function newInstanceFromData(array $data, array $args = []): ?object {}
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Should always return an object, no nullable type needed


public function newLazyGhost(callable $initializer, int $options = 0): object {}

public function newLazyProxy(callable $factory, int $options = 0): object {}
Expand Down
9 changes: 8 additions & 1 deletion ext/reflection/php_reflection_arginfo.h
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90 changes: 90 additions & 0 deletions ext/reflection/tests/ReflectionClass_newInstanceFromData_001.phpt
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
--TEST--
ReflectionClass::newInstanceFromData
--FILE--
<?php

class A
{
public int $a;
public string $b;

public function __construct($c, $d)
{
echo "In constructor of class A\n";
}
}

class B
{
public int $a;
public string $b;
}

class C
{
}

#[\AllowDynamicProperties]
class D
{
}


$rcA = new ReflectionClass('A');
$rcB = new ReflectionClass('B');
$rcC = new ReflectionClass('C');
$rcD = new ReflectionClass('D');

try
{
$rcA->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 'bad', 'b' => 123], ['foo', 1337]);
}
catch(Throwable $e)
{
echo "Exception: " . $e->getMessage() . "\n";
}

var_dump($rcA->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 123, 'b' => 'good'], ['foo', 1337]));

var_dump($rcB->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 123, 'b' => 'good']));

var_dump($rcC->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 123, 'b' => 'good']));

var_dump($rcC->newInstanceFromData([]));

var_dump($rcD->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 123, 'b' => 'good']));

?>
--EXPECTF--
Exception: Cannot assign string to property A::$a of type int
In constructor of class A
object(A)#5 (2) {
["a"]=>
int(123)
["b"]=>
string(4) "good"
}
object(B)#5 (2) {
["a"]=>
int(123)
["b"]=>
string(4) "good"
}

Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property C::$a is deprecated in %s on line %d

Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property C::$b is deprecated in %s on line %d
object(C)#5 (2) {
["a"]=>
int(123)
["b"]=>
string(4) "good"
}
object(C)#5 (0) {
}
object(D)#5 (2) {
["a"]=>
int(123)
["b"]=>
string(4) "good"
}
30 changes: 30 additions & 0 deletions ext/reflection/tests/ReflectionClass_newInstanceFromData_002.phpt
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@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
--TEST--
ReflectionClass::newInstanceFromData - internal class
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please also add tests for

  • constructor property promotion
  • constructor property promotion with read-only properties (should trigger errors about reassigning)
  • normal read-only properties getting set via the data
  • normal read-only properties getting set via the data and in the constructor (should trigger errors)
  • hooked properties - with a set hook
  • hooked properties - virtual properties
  • using the wrong type of value in the $data values (e.g trying to assign a string to an object property)

--FILE--
<?php

$rcDateTime = new ReflectionClass('DateTime');
$rcPDOStatement = new ReflectionClass('PDOStatement');

try
{
$rcDateTime->newInstanceFromData([], ['now', new DateTimeZone('UTC')]);
}
catch(Throwable $e)
{
echo "Exception: " . $e->getMessage() . "\n";
}

try
{
$rcPDOStatement->newInstanceFromData(['a' => 123]);
}
catch(Throwable $e)
{
echo "Exception: " . $e->getMessage() . "\n";
}

?>
--EXPECTF--
Exception: Class DateTime is an internal class that cannot be instantiated from data
Exception: Class PDOStatement is an internal class that cannot be instantiated from data
11 changes: 10 additions & 1 deletion ext/reflection/tests/ReflectionClass_toString_001.phpt
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Expand Up @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Class [ <internal:Reflection> class ReflectionClass implements Stringable, Refle
Property [ public string $name ]
}

- Methods [64] {
- Methods [65] {
Method [ <internal:Reflection> private method __clone ] {

- Parameters [0] {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -332,6 +332,15 @@ Class [ <internal:Reflection> class ReflectionClass implements Stringable, Refle
- Tentative return [ ?object ]
}

Method [ <internal:Reflection> public method newInstanceFromData ] {

- Parameters [2] {
Parameter #0 [ <required> array $data ]
Parameter #1 [ <optional> array $args = [] ]
}
- Return [ ?object ]
}

Method [ <internal:Reflection> public method newLazyGhost ] {

- Parameters [2] {
Expand Down