PHP Generics in Laravel 11

If you are a web applications builder with Laravel and happens to use PHPStan for static code analysis, you will start seeing new errors when you upgrade to Laravel 11.x.

In a fresh Laravel install with PHPStan, the first time running ./vendor/bin/phpstan the following error get thrown:

 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Line   app\Models\User.php
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  13     Class App\Models\User uses generic trait
         Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory but does not specify its types:
         TFactory
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what was changed? In Laravel 11, the HasFactory trait now has a PHPDoc with the @template tag which is one of the reserved generics tags. As you may already have guessed, generics are being used in many parts of the framework.

/**
 * @template TFactory of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory
 */
trait HasFactory
{
    ...
}

Although it is not recommended, this category of errors can be ignored by simply adding these lines of code to your phpstan.neon file:

parameters:
    ignoreErrors:
        -
            identifier: missingType.generics

But, generics are not that hard to understand so let’s get started!

What are Generics?

Generics in programming refer to a feature that allows you to write code that can work with multiple data types. Instead of writing separate code for each data type, you can write a single, generic piece of code that can operate on various types while maintaining type safety, unlike using general types like mixed or object.

Take the IlluminateDatabaseConcernsBuildsQueries::first method from Laravel 10, it can return an instance of Model, a general object, an instance of the class using it like IlluminateDatabaseEloquentBuilder or null.

/**
 * Execute the query and get the first result.
 *
 * @param  array|string  $columns
 * @return \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model|object|static|null
 */
public function first($columns = ['*'])
{
    return $this->take(1)->get($columns)->first();
}

Generics Syntax

Generics are not supported in PHP as a first-class citizen, to have them we use the PHPDocs tags @template, @template-covariant, @template-contravariant, @extends, @implements, and @use.

The rules of the generic types are defined using type parameters. In PHPDocs we annotate them with the @template tag. The type parameter name can be anything, as long as you don’t use an existing class name. You can also limit which types can be used in place of the type parameter with an upper bound using the of keyword. This is called bounded type parameter.

<?php namespace Illuminate\Database\Eloquent;

/**
 * @template TModel of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model
 *
 */
class Builder implements BuilderContract
{
}

Types of PHP Generics

Generic Function

A generic function is exactly like a normal function, however, it has type parameters. This allows the generic method to be used in a more general way.

Take the IlluminateSupportValidatedInput::enum method as an example:

• It defines a type parameter TEnum.

• The $enumClass parameter is of the pseudo type class-string and bounded to the same type parameter TEnum.

• The return type also can either be of TEnum or null.
  

 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Line   app\Models\User.php
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  13     Class App\Models\User uses generic trait
         Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory but does not specify its types:
         TFactory
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you then call $request→validated()→enum(‘status‘, OrderStatus::class), PHPStan will know that you’re getting an OrderStatus object or null!

Generic Class

Generic classes allows for creating classes that can operate on any data type while ensuring type safety. They enable a class to be defined with a placeholder for a specific type, which can later be substituted when the class is instantiated.

A good example from Laravel source code would be the IlluminateDatabaseEloquentBuilder class:

/**
 * @template TFactory of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory
 */
trait HasFactory
{
    ...
}

A type parameter TModel is defined and bounded to any sub-class of IlluminateDatabaseEloquentModel. The same type parameter is used as a return type of the method make.

Another example would be if we have an Order model, which has a local scope to filter orders based on their status. The scope method should specify the TModel type

parameters:
    ignoreErrors:
        -
            identifier: missingType.generics

ℹ️ info: All the Eloquent relations classes in namespace IlluminateDatabaseEloquentRelations like BelongsTo and HasOne are now generic.

Generic Interface

Generic interfaces are not so different. The IlluminateContractsSupportArrayable is an example of a generic interface

/**
 * Execute the query and get the first result.
 *
 * @param  array|string  $columns
 * @return \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model|object|static|null
 */
public function first($columns = ['*'])
{
    return $this->take(1)->get($columns)->first();
}

The interface defines two type parameters: TKey of type array-key (it can be int or string) and TValue. Theses two parameters are used to define the return type of the toArray function. Here is an example:

<?php namespace Illuminate\Database\Eloquent;

/**
 * @template TModel of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model
 *
 */
class Builder implements BuilderContract
{
}

The user class implements the Arrayable interface and specify the Tkey type as an int and the TValue as a string.

Generic Trait

We came across the IlluminateDatabaseEloquentFactoriesHasFactory trait in the error at the beginning of this post. Let’s have a closer look:

/**
 * @template TEnum
 *
 * @param string $key
 * @param class-string<tenum> $enumClass
 * @return TEnum|null
 */
public function enum($key, $enumClass)
{
    if ($this->isNotFilled($key) ||
        ! enum_exists($enumClass) ||
        ! method_exists($enumClass, 'tryFrom')) {
        return null;
    }
    return $enumClass::tryFrom($this->input($key));
}
</tenum>

HasFactory defines a type parameter TFactory bounded to the sub-classes of IlluminateDatabaseEloquentFactoriesFactory. So how can that error be fixed?

The TFactory type must be specified when the trait is being used. So, the use statement of the HasFactory trait needs to be annotated with the PHPDocs @use:

<?php namespace Illuminate\Database\Eloquent;
/**
 * @template TModel of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model
 */
class Builder implements BuilderContract
{
    /**
     * @param  array  $attributes
     * @return TModel
     */
    public function make(array $attributes = [])
    {
        return $this->newModelInstance($attributes);
    }
}

Preserving Genericness

When extending a class, implementing an interface, or using a trait it is possible to maintain the genericness in the sub-class.

Preserving the genericness is implemented by defining the same type parameters above the child class and passing it to @extends, @implements and @use tags.

We will use the IlluminateDatabaseConcernsBuildsQueries generic trait as an example,

it defines a type parameter TValue:

 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Line   app\Models\User.php
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  13     Class App\Models\User uses generic trait
         Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory but does not specify its types:
         TFactory
 ------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The IlluminateDatabaseEloquentBuilder class uses this trait but keeps its genericness by passing the TModel parameter type to it. It is now left to the client code to specify the type of TModel and consequently TValue in the BuildsQueries trait.

/**
 * @template TFactory of \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\Factory
 */
trait HasFactory
{
    ...
}

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, while PHP does not natively support generics in the same way as some other programming languages, the introduction of advanced type hints and tools like PHPStan allows developers to implement generics-like functionality in their code. By leveraging PHPDocs, parameterized classes, and interfaces, you can create more flexible and type-safe applications that promote code reusability and maintainability. As PHP continues to evolve, the community's growing focus on type safety and static analysis will likely lead to more robust solutions for implementing generics. Embracing these practices not only enhances your coding skills but also contributes to the development of high-quality software that stands the test of time.

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