Is it possible to modify the type of property ?

[momala454]

I have a json that have a property that is (kind of) randomly an object instead of a string.
How can I detect when the property is an object and convert it to a string ?
The object doesn't have a specific structure.

When I define the phpdoc of the property to string|object, it gives the error

   CuyZ\Valinor\Mapper\Tree\Exception\NoCasterForType 

  No caster was found to convert to type `object`.

And if I write it as string, obviously it will just says that it cannot be mapped ( CuyZ\Valinor\Mapper\TypeTreeMapperError)

Apparently, transformers are only used for serializer, and not for mapper, so I can't use it.
I found the alter method, but it will be called for every attribute, not just the one I want to modify.

Do you have any way to do that ?

[romm]

Hi @momala454, thanks for posting here.

A property typed as a string|object should accept any object value, as long as the MapperBuilder allows the permissive type object, using the allowPermissiveTypes() method. Could you post more information on what exactly the object coming from your "json" data is?

The alter method indeed exists and is part of the public API, although it is not documented (yet) as I am still not convinced I want it to stay it that way, so I would recommend not using it.

I may add attribute support for local alteration of a source value, but works on this task have not yet begun.

[romm]

I see.

The normalizer feature is indeed separated and cannot easily be used during the mapping process.

For your usecase, I'd probably do something like:

class Hello1
{
    /** @var array<string> */
    public array $values;

    /** @param array<string|array> $values */
    public function __construct(
        array $values,
    ) {
        $this->values = array_map(fn ($value) => is_string($value) ? $value : json_encode($value), $values);
    }
}

[momala454]

thanks i will test it later.

[momala454]

@romm this solution works, but then it looks like the error reported is not precise when the type is nullable

/** @property array<string> $values */
class Hello1
{
    /** @param array<string|array<string, mixed>> $values */
    public function __construct(
        public array $values,
        public ?Hello2 $world,
    ) {
        $this->values = array_map(fn ($value) => is_string($value) ? $value : json_encode($value, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR), $values);
    }
}

class Hello2
{
    public function __construct(
        public string $value1,
        public string $value2,
        public string $value3,
    ) {
    }
}

$json = '{"values": ["hello", {"world": null}, {"hi": true}], "world": {"abc":"def"}}';
try {
$responseObject = (new \CuyZ\Valinor\MapperBuilder())
    ->allowSuperfluousKeys()
    ->allowPermissiveTypes()
    ->mapper()
    ->map(Hello1::class, \CuyZ\Valinor\Mapper\Source\Source::json($json));
    print_r($responseObject);

} catch (\CuyZ\Valinor\Mapper\TypeTreeMapperError $e) {
    echo 'messages:';
    $messages = \CuyZ\Valinor\Mapper\Tree\Message\Messages::flattenFromNode(
        $e->node()
    );
    var_dump($e->node()->name());
    foreach ($messages->errors() as $message) {
        var_dump($message->node()->path());
        var_dump($message->toString());
    }
    throw $e;
}

It simply says Invalid value array{abc: 'def'}., but why is it invalid ? it doesn't say. I must change it to non nullable to see the real error :

string(12) "world.value1"
string(71) "Cannot be empty and must be filled with a value matching type `string`."
string(12) "world.value2"
string(71) "Cannot be empty and must be filled with a value matching type `string`."
string(12) "world.value3"
string(71) "Cannot be empty and must be filled with a value matching type `string`."

If I must create an issue, please tell me

[romm]

The signature of Hello2 is invalid. The PHPDoc indicates a type for a non-existing parameter $values. Something like below would work:

class Hello2
{
    /** @param array<string|array<string, mixed>> $values */
    public function __construct(
        public array $values,
    ) {}
}

[momala454]

sorry that was a copy/paste error. Remove the phpdoc for Hello2 (i've updated my code above). The problem I mentioned stays the same

[romm]

Closing, as converters should now solve this particular usecase, see documentation about this for more info.

[momala454]

great thanks