Mathias Arlaud
Co-Founder & COO @Bakslash - Co-Founder & CTO @Synegram
A suitable serialization with
Mathias Arlaud
Representing data structures in a format that can be sent or persisted in order to be reconstructed later
Binary, textual
Construction pattern
Databases, flat files, APIs
Anywhere, interoperable
https://symfony.com/doc/current/components/serializer.html
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
    public int $id;
    public string $name;
    public string $mission;
    public string $unofficialMission;
}
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
    public int $id;
    public string $name;
    public string $mission;
    public string $unofficialMission;
}
{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "Persévérance",
  "mission": "Trouver la vie sur Mars",
  "unofficialMission": "Anéantir toute vie sur Mars"
}
> curl /api/robots/1.json
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
    public int $id;
    public string $name;
    public string $mission;
    public string $unofficialMission;
}
{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "Persévérance",
  "mission": "Trouver la vie sur Mars",
  "unofficialMission": "Anéantir toute vie sur Mars"
}
Customizing serialization
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
  public int $id;
  public string $name;
  public string $mission;
  #[Ignore]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
Customizing serialization
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
  public int $id;
  public string $name;
  public string $mission;
  #[ApiProperty(readable: false, writable: false)]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
Customizing serialization
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
  // ...
  #[ApiProperty(readable: false, writable: false)]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
#[ApiResource]
class Robot
{
  // ...
  #[Ignore]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
> curl /api/robots/1.json
> curl /api/robots.json
...
Groups!
Customizing serialization
public function serialize($data, string $format, array $context = []);array $context = []);Customizing serialization
class Robot
{
  #[Groups(['group-one', 'group-two'])]
  public string $name;
  #[Groups(['group-one'])]
  public string $mission;
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
Customizing serialization
class Robot
{
  #[Groups(['group-one', 'group-two'])]
  public string $name;
  #[Groups(['group-one'])]
  public string $mission;
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
serialize(..., ['groups' => ['group-one']]);serialize(..., ['groups' => ['group-two']]);{"name": "foo", "mission": "bar"}{"name": "foo"}#[ApiResource(
  itemOperations: [
    'get' => [
      'normalization_context' => ['groups' => ['item']],
    ],
  ],
  collectionOperations: [
    'get' => [
      'normalization_context' => ['groups' => ['list']],
    ],
  ],
)]Customizing serialization
> curl /api/robots/1.json
['item']
> curl /api/robots.json
['list']
Dynamic groups
> curl /api/robots/1.json
SerializeListener
ContextBuilder, Serializer
(RespondListener)
Yep, I know it!
ViewEvent
Does anyone know how to convert a to a ?
Controller
Response
SerializeListener
#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']])]
class Robot
{
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public string $name;
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public string $mission;
  
  #[Groups(['secret_service'])]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
SerializeListener
SerializeListener
ContextBuilder
interface SerializerContextBuilderInterface {
  public function createFromRequest(
    Request $request,
    bool $normalization,
    ?array $attributes = null,
  ): array;
  
}Serializer
class SecretServiceContextBuilder implements SerializerContextBuilderInterface
{
  // ...
  
  public function createFromRequest(...): array
  {
    $context = $this->decorated->createFromRequest(...);
    
    if (Robot::class === ($context['resource_class'] ?? null)
      && $this->authorizationChecker->isGranted('ROLE_SECRET_SERVICE')
    ) {
      $context['groups'][] = 'secret_service';
    }
    
    return $context;
  }
}services:
  App\Serializer\SecretServiceContextBuilder:
    decorates: 'api_platform.serializer.context_builder'Context used by the serializer
Custom logic
API Platform generated context
SerializeListener
API Platform 2.6
#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']])]
class Robot
{ 
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
#[ApiProperty(security: 'is_granted("ROLE_SECRET_SERVICE")')]ExpressionLanguage
user, object, is_granted, ...
#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']])]
class Robot {
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public string $name;
  
  #[Groups(['creator'])]
  public string $mentalHealth;
  
  public User $creator;
}SerializeListener
SerializeListener
SerializeListener
ContextBuilder
interface NormalizerInterface
{
  public function normalize(
    $data,
    string $format = null,
    array $context = []
  );
  public function supportsNormalization(
    $data,
    string $format = null,
    array $context = []
  ): bool;
}Serializer
SerializeListener
class RobotNormalizer implements NormalizerInterface
{
  // ...
  public function normalize(...)
  {
    if ($this->security->getUser() === $data->creator) {
      $context['groups'][] = 'creator';
    }
    return $this->normalizer->normalize($data, $format, $context);
  }
  public function supportsNormalization(...): bool
  {
    return ... && $data instanceof Robot;
  }
}
Scope the normalizer
Custom logic
Regular normalization
#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']])]
class Robot
{ 
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public string $unofficialMission;
}
#[ApiProperty(security: 'object.creator == user')]API Platform 2.6
#[ApiResource(
  normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']],
  itemOperations: [
    'get' => ['normalization_context' => 
      ['groups' => ['read', 'item']]],
  ],
  collectionOperations: [
    'get' => ['normalization_context' =>
       ['groups' => ['read', 'list']]],
  ],
)]
class Robot {}#[ApiResource(
  normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['read']],
  itemOperations: [
    'get' => ['normalization_context' => 
      ['groups' => ['read', 'item']]],
  ],
  collectionOperations: [
    'get' => ['normalization_context' =>
       ['groups' => ['read', 'list']]],
  ],
)]
class Datasheet {}API Platform 2.6
API Platform 2.6
#[ApiResource]
class Robot {}
#[ApiResource]
class Datasheet {}# config/packages/api_platform.yaml
api_platform:
  defaults:
    normalizationContext:
      groups: ["read"]
    itemOperations:
      get: ["normalization_context": ["groups" => ["read", "item"]]]
    collectionOperations:
      get: ["normalization_context": ["groups" => ["read", "list"]]]
      
    # ...
Dynamic groups
#[ApiResource]
class Robot {
  #[Groups(['read'])]
  public Datasheet $datasheet;
}
#[ApiResource]
class Datasheet {
    #[Groups(['read'])]
    public string $reference;
    #[Groups(['read'])]
    public array $specs;
}{
  "datasheet": {
    "reference": "PE-01",
    "specs": ["lot of data", "..."]
  }
}Dynamic groups
{
  "datasheet": {
    "reference": "PE-01"
  }
}#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['robot:read']])]
class Robot {
  #[Groups(['robot:read'])]
  public Datasheet $datasheet;
}
#[ApiResource(normalizationContext: ['groups' => ['datasheet:read']])]
class Datasheet {
    #[Groups(['datasheet:read', 'robot:read'])]
    public string $reference;
    #[Groups(['datasheet:read'])]
    public array $specs;
}Dynamic groups
ResourceMetadataFactory
App\Entity\Robot
SerializeListener
ContextBuilder
Serializer
ResourceMetadata
Dynamic groups
class GroupResourceMetadataFactory implements ResourceMetadataFactoryInterface
{
  // ...
  public function create(string $resourceClass): ResourceMetadata
  {
    $resourceMetadata = $this->decorated->create($resourceClass);
    return $resourceMetadata
      ->withItemOperations($this->addGroupsToOperations($resourceMetadata, true))
      ->withCollectionOperations($this->addGroupsToOperations($resourceMetadata, false))
    ;
  }
    
  // Return operations with dynamic groups (eg: robot:read, robot:list, or robot:item).
  private function addGroupsToOperations(ResourceMetadata $metadata, bool $isItem) {}
}
services:
  App\ApiPlatform\AutoGroupResourceMetadataFactory:
    decorates: 'api_platform.metadata.resource.metadata_factory'Custom logic
API Platform generated metadata
Dynamic groups
#[ApiResource]
class Robot {
  #[Groups(['robot:read'])]
  public Datasheet $datasheet;
}
#[ApiResource]
class Datasheet {
    #[Groups(['datasheet:read', 'robot:read'])]
    public string $reference;
    #[Groups(['datasheet:read'])]
    public array $specs;
}SerializeListener
ContextBuilder
Serializer
ResourceMetadata
DTOs
#[ApiResource(
  shortName: 'Astronaut',
  output: Astronaut::class,
)]
class Robot {
  public string $name;
  
  
  public string $mission;
  
  
  public int $battery;
  public Datasheet $datasheet;
}class Astronaut {
  #[Groups(['astronaut:read'])]
  public string $name;
  
  #[Groups(['astronaut:read'])]
  public string $task;
  
  #[Groups(['astronaut:read'])]
  public bool $hasOxygen;
}DTOs
class AstronautDataTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
{
    public function transform(...): Astronaut
    {
        $astronaut = new Astronaut();
        $astronaut->name = $robot->name;
        $astronaut->task = $robot->mission;
        $astronaut->hasOxygen = $robot->battery > 0;
        return $astronaut;
    }
    public function supportsTransformation(...): bool
    {
        return $data instanceof Robot && Astronaut::class === $to;
    }
}ViewEvent
ContextBuilder
By resource type By operation By request
Defaults
By operation Documentation friendly
ResourceMetadataFactory
By resource type By operation Documentation friendly
$context
ViewEvent
Serializer
By context By resource instance
DTOs
$context, $data
By context By resource instance
{"..."}
By Mathias Arlaud
SymfonyLive Online 2021