Ray.InputQuery

Convert HTTP query parameters into hierarchical PHP objects automatically.

Quick Example

// HTTP Request: ?name=John&[email protected]&addressStreet=123 Main St&addressCity=Tokyo

// Automatically becomes:
final class AddressInput {
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $street,
        #[Input] public readonly string $city
    ) {}
}

final class UserInput {
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,
        #[Input] public readonly AddressInput $address  // Nested object!
    ) {}
}

$user = $inputQuery->newInstance(UserInput::class, $_GET);
echo $user->name;            // "John"
echo $user->address->street; // "123 Main St"

Key Point: addressStreet and addressCity automatically compose the AddressInput object.

Overview

Ray.InputQuery transforms flat HTTP data into structured PHP objects through explicit type declarations. Using the #[Input] attribute, you declare which parameters come from query data, while other parameters are resolved via dependency injection.

Core Features:

• Automatic Nesting - Prefix-based parameters create hierarchical objects
• Type Safety - Leverages PHP's type system for automatic conversion
• DI Integration - Mix query parameters with dependency injection
• Validation - Type constraints ensure data integrity

Installation

composer require ray/input-query

Optional: File Upload Support

For file upload functionality, also install:

composer require koriym/file-upload

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation including design philosophy, AI prompts for development assistance, and sample data examples can be found in the docs/ directory.

Framework Integration

For framework-specific integration examples, see the Framework Integration Guide which covers:

• Laravel, Symfony, CakePHP, Yii Framework 1.x, BEAR.Sunday, and Slim Framework
• Three usage patterns (Reflection, Direct Object Creation, Spread Operator)
• Testing examples and best practices

Usage

Ray.InputQuery converts flat query data into typed PHP objects automatically.

Basic Usage

Define your input class with the #[Input] attribute on parameters that come from query data:

use Ray\InputQuery\Attribute\Input;

final class UserInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email
    ) {}
}

Create input objects from query data:

use Ray\InputQuery\InputQuery;
use Ray\Di\Injector;

$injector = new Injector();
$inputQuery = new InputQuery($injector);

// Create object directly from array
$user = $inputQuery->newInstance(UserInput::class, [
    'name' => 'John Doe',
    'email' => '[email protected]'
]);

echo $user->name;  // John Doe
echo $user->email; // [email protected]

// Method argument resolution from $_POST
$method = new ReflectionMethod(UserController::class, 'register');
$args = $inputQuery->getArguments($method, $_POST);
$result = $method->invokeArgs($controller, $args);

Nested Objects

Ray.InputQuery automatically creates nested objects from flat query data:

final class AddressInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $street,
        #[Input] public readonly string $city,
        #[Input] public readonly string $zip
    ) {}
}

final class UserInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,
        #[Input] public readonly AddressInput $address  // Nested input
    ) {}
}

$user = $inputQuery->newInstance(UserInput::class, [
    'name' => 'John Doe',
    'email' => '[email protected]',
    'addressStreet' => '123 Main St',
    'addressCity' => 'Tokyo',
    'addressZip' => '100-0001'
]);

echo $user->name;            // John Doe
echo $user->address->street; // 123 Main St

Array Support

Ray.InputQuery supports arrays and ArrayObject collections with the item parameter:

use Ray\InputQuery\Attribute\Input;

final class UserInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $id,
        #[Input] public readonly string $name
    ) {}
}

final class UserListController
{
    /**
     * @param list<UserInput> $users
     */
    public function updateUsers(
        #[Input(item: UserInput::class)] array $users  // Array of UserInput objects
    ) {
        foreach ($users as $user) {
            echo $user->name; // Each element is a UserInput instance
        }
    }
    
    /**
     * @param ArrayObject<int, UserInput> $users
     */
    public function processUsers(
        #[Input(item: UserInput::class)] ArrayObject $users  // ArrayObject collection
    ) {
        // $users is an ArrayObject containing UserInput instances
    }
}

Query data format for arrays

Arrays should be submitted as indexed arrays. Here's how to structure HTML forms and the resulting data:

<!-- HTML Form -->
<form method="post">
    <input name="users[0][id]" value="1">
    <input name="users[0][name]" value="Jingu">
    
    <input name="users[1][id]" value="2">
    <input name="users[1][name]" value="Horikawa">
</form>

This will be received as:

$data = [
    'users' => [
        ['id' => '1', 'name' => 'Jingu'],
        ['id' => '2', 'name' => 'Horikawa']
    ]
];

$result = $method->invokeArgs($controller, $inputQuery->getArguments($method, $data));
// Arguments automatically resolved as UserInput objects

Simple array values (e.g., checkboxes)

For simple arrays like checkboxes or multi-select:

<form method="post">
    <!-- Checkbox group -->
    <input name="hobbies[]" type="checkbox" value="music">
    <input name="hobbies[]" type="checkbox" value="sports">
    <input name="hobbies[]" type="checkbox" value="reading">
    
    <!-- Multi-select -->
    <select name="categories[]" multiple>
        <option value="tech">Technology</option>
        <option value="business">Business</option>
        <option value="lifestyle">Lifestyle</option>
    </select>
</form>

This will be received as:

$data = [
    'hobbies' => ['music', 'sports'],      // Only checked values
    'categories' => ['tech', 'lifestyle']   // Only selected values
];

// In your controller
/**
 * @param list<string> $hobbies
 * @param list<string> $categories
 */
public function updatePreferences(
    #[Input] array $hobbies,      // Simple string array
    #[Input] array $categories    // Simple string array
) {
    // Direct array of strings, no object conversion needed
}

Note: For non-array parameters, use flat naming without brackets:

<!-- Single object properties -->
<input name="customerName" value="Jingu">
<input name="customerEmail" value="[email protected]">

ArrayObject Inheritance Support

Custom ArrayObject subclasses are also supported:

final class UserCollection extends ArrayObject
{
    public function getFirst(): ?UserInput
    {
        return $this[0] ?? null;
    }
}

/** 
 * @param array<UserInput> $users 
 */
public function handleUsers(
    #[Input(item: UserInput::class)] UserCollection $users
) {
    $firstUser = $users->getFirst(); // Custom method available
}

Mixed with Dependency Injection

Parameters without the #[Input] attribute are resolved via dependency injection:

use Ray\Di\Di\Named;

interface AddressServiceInterface
{
    public function findByZip(string $zip): Address;
}


interface TicketFactoryInterface
{
    public function create(string $eventId, string $ticketId): Ticket;
}

final class EventBookingInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $ticketId,        // From query - raw ID
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,           // From query
        #[Input] public readonly string $zip,             // From query
        #[Named('event_id')] private string $eventId,     // From DI
        private TicketFactoryInterface $ticketFactory,    // From DI
        private AddressServiceInterface $addressService,  // From DI
    ) {
        // Create complete Ticket object from ID (includes validation, expiry, etc.)
        $this->ticket = $this->ticketFactory->create($eventId, $ticketId);
        // Fully validated immutable ticket object created!
        
        if (!$this->ticket->isValid) {
            throw new InvalidTicketException(
                "Ticket {$ticketId} is invalid: {$this->ticket->getInvalidReason()}"
            );
        }
        
        // Get address from zip
        $this->address = $this->addressService->findByZip($zip);
    }
    
    public readonly Ticket $ticket;    // Complete ticket object with ID, status, etc.
    public readonly Address $address;  // Structured address object
}

// DI configuration
$injector = new Injector(new class extends AbstractModule {
    protected function configure(): void
    {
        $this->bind(TicketFactoryInterface::class)->to(TicketFactory::class);   // Can swap with mock in tests
        $this->bind(AddressServiceInterface::class)->to(AddressService::class);
        $this->bind()->annotatedWith('event_id')->toInstance('ray-event-2025');
    }
});

$inputQuery = new InputQuery($injector);

// Usage - Factory automatically creates complete objects from IDs
try {
    $booking = $inputQuery->newInstance(EventBookingInput::class, [
        'ticketId' => 'TKT-2024-001',
        'email' => '[email protected]',
        'zip' => '100-0001'
    ]);
    
    // $booking->ticket is a Ticket object with ID and validation status
    echo "Ticket ID: " . $booking->ticket->id; // Only valid ticket ID
    
} catch (InvalidTicketException $e) {
    // Handle expired or invalid tickets
    echo "Booking failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}

Key Normalization

All query keys are normalized to camelCase:

• user_name → userName
• user-name → userName
• UserName → userName

File Upload Integration

Ray.InputQuery provides comprehensive file upload support through integration with Koriym.FileUpload:

composer require koriym/file-upload

When using file upload features, instantiate InputQuery with FileUploadFactory:

use Ray\InputQuery\InputQuery;
use Ray\InputQuery\FileUploadFactory;

$inputQuery = new InputQuery($injector, new FileUploadFactory());

Using #[InputFile] Attribute

For file uploads, use the dedicated #[InputFile] attribute which provides validation options:

use Koriym\FileUpload\FileUpload;
use Koriym\FileUpload\ErrorFileUpload;
use Ray\InputQuery\Attribute\InputFile;

final class UserProfileInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,
        #[InputFile(
            maxSize: 5 * 1024 * 1024,  // 5MB
            allowedTypes: ['image/jpeg', 'image/png'],
            allowedExtensions: ['jpg', 'jpeg', 'png']
        )] 
        public readonly FileUpload|ErrorFileUpload $avatar,
        #[InputFile] public readonly FileUpload|ErrorFileUpload|null $banner = null,
    ) {}
}

// Method usage example - Direct attribute approach

Test-Friendly Design

File upload handling is designed to be test-friendly:

• Production - FileUpload library handles file uploads automatically
• Testing - Direct FileUpload object injection for easy mocking

// Production usage - FileUpload library handles file uploads automatically
$input = $inputQuery->newInstance(UserProfileInput::class, $_POST);
// FileUpload objects are created automatically from uploaded files

// Testing usage - inject mock FileUpload objects directly for easy testing
$mockAvatar = FileUpload::create([
    'name' => 'test.jpg',
    'type' => 'image/jpeg', 
    'size' => 1024,
    'tmp_name' => '/tmp/test',
    'error' => UPLOAD_ERR_OK,
]);

$input = $inputQuery->newInstance(UserProfileInput::class, [
    'name' => 'Test User',
    'email' => '[email protected]', 
    'avatar' => $mockAvatar,
    'banner' => null
]);

Multiple File Uploads

Support for multiple file uploads using array types with validation:

final class GalleryInput
{
    /**
     * @param list<FileUpload|ErrorFileUpload> $images
     */
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $title,
        #[InputFile(
            maxSize: 10 * 1024 * 1024,  // 10MB per file
            allowedTypes: ['image/*']
        )] 
        public readonly array $images,
    ) {}
}

// Method usage example
class GalleryController
{
    public function createGallery(GalleryInput $input): void
    {
        $savedImages = [];
        foreach ($input->images as $image) {
            if ($image instanceof FileUpload) {
                $savedImages[] = $this->saveFile($image, 'gallery/');
            } elseif ($image instanceof ErrorFileUpload) {
                // Log error but continue with other images
                $this->logger->warning('Image upload failed: ' . $image->message);
            }
        }
        
        $this->galleryService->create($input->title, $savedImages);
    }
}

// Production usage - FileUpload library handles multiple files automatically
$input = $inputQuery->newInstance(GalleryInput::class, $_POST);
// Array of FileUpload objects created automatically from uploaded files

// Testing usage - inject array of mock FileUpload objects for easy testing
$mockImages = [
    FileUpload::create(['name' => 'image1.jpg', ...]),
    FileUpload::create(['name' => 'image2.png', ...])
];

$input = $inputQuery->newInstance(GalleryInput::class, [
    'title' => 'My Gallery',
    'images' => $mockImages
]);

Converting Objects to Arrays

Ray.InputQuery provides the ToArray functionality to convert objects with #[Input] parameters into flat associative arrays, primarily for SQL parameter binding with libraries like Aura.Sql:

Basic ToArray Usage

use Ray\InputQuery\ToArray;

final class CustomerInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,
    ) {}
}

final class OrderInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $id,
        #[Input] public readonly CustomerInput $customer,
        #[Input] public readonly array $items,
    ) {}
}

// Create nested input object
$orderInput = new OrderInput(
    id: 'ORD-001',
    customer: new CustomerInput(name: 'John Doe', email: '[email protected]'),
    items: [['product' => 'laptop', 'quantity' => 1]]
);

// Convert to flat array for SQL
$toArray = new ToArray();
$params = $toArray($orderInput);

// Result: 
// [
//     'id' => 'ORD-001',
//     'name' => 'John Doe',           // Flattened from customer
//     'email' => '[email protected]',  // Flattened from customer  
//     'items' => [['product' => 'laptop', 'quantity' => 1]]  // Arrays preserved
// ]

SQL Param￥￥eter Binding

The flattened arrays work seamlessly with Aura.Sql and other SQL libraries:

// Using with Aura.Sql
$sql = "INSERT INTO orders (id, customer_name, customer_email) VALUES (:id, :name, :email)";
$statement = $pdo->prepare($sql);
$statement->execute($params);

// Arrays are preserved for IN clauses
$productIds = $params['productIds']; // [1, 2, 3]
$sql = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE id IN (?)";
$statement = $pdo->prepare($sql);
$statement->execute([$productIds]); // Aura.Sql handles array expansion

// Other use cases
return new JsonResponse($params);  // API responses
$this->logger->info('Order data', $params);  // Logging

Property Name Conflicts

When flattened properties have the same name, later values overwrite earlier ones:

final class OrderInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $id,           // 'ORD-001'
        #[Input] public readonly CustomerInput $customer,  // Has 'id' property: 'CUST-123'
    ) {}
}

$params = $toArray($orderInput);
// Result: ['id' => 'CUST-123']  // Customer ID overwrites order ID

Key Features

• Recursive Flattening: Nested objects with #[Input] parameters are automatically flattened
• Array Preservation: Arrays remain intact for SQL IN clauses (Aura.Sql compatible)
• Property Conflicts: Later properties overwrite earlier ones
• Public Properties Only: Private/protected properties are ignored
• Type Safety: Maintains type information through transformation

Complex Example

final class AddressInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $street,
        #[Input] public readonly string $city,
        #[Input] public readonly string $country,
    ) {}
}

final class CustomerInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $name,
        #[Input] public readonly string $email,
        #[Input] public readonly AddressInput $address,
    ) {}
}

final class OrderInput
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Input] public readonly string $orderId,
        #[Input] public readonly CustomerInput $customer,
        #[Input] public readonly AddressInput $shipping,
        #[Input] public readonly array $productIds,
    ) {}
}

$order = new OrderInput(
    orderId: 'ORD-001',
    customer: new CustomerInput(
        name: 'John Doe',
        email: '[email protected]',
        address: new AddressInput(street: '123 Main St', city: 'Tokyo', country: 'Japan')
    ),
    shipping: new AddressInput(street: '456 Oak Ave', city: 'Osaka', country: 'Japan'),
    productIds: ['PROD-1', 'PROD-2', 'PROD-3']
);

$params = $toArray($order);
// Result:
// [
//     'orderId' => 'ORD-001',
//     'name' => 'John Doe',
//     'email' => '[email protected]',
//     'street' => '456 Oak Ave',      // Shipping address overwrites customer address
//     'city' => 'Osaka',             // Shipping address overwrites customer address  
//     'country' => 'Japan',          // Same value, so no visible conflict
//     'productIds' => ['PROD-1', 'PROD-2', 'PROD-3']  // Array preserved
// ]

// Use the flattened data
$orderId = $params['orderId'];
$customerName = $params['name'];
$shippingAddress = "{$params['street']}, {$params['city']}, {$params['country']}";
$productIds = $params['productIds']; // Array preserved

Demo

Web Demo

To see file upload integration in action:

php -S localhost:8080 -t demo/

Then visit http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Console Demos

Run various examples from the command line:

# Basic examples with nested objects and DI
php demo/run.php

# Array processing demo
php demo/ArrayDemo.php

# CSV file processing with batch operations
php demo/csv/run.php