[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property #42240

lyrixx · Jul 23, 2021

Q	A
Branch?	5.4
Bug fix?	no
New feature?	yes
Deprecations?
Tickets	Fix #38192
License	MIT
Doc PR

This PR leverage https://symfony.com/blog/new-in-symfony-5-3-inlined-serialization-context to fix #38192.

Example:

class MyDto
{
    public function __construct(
        #[Context([AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true ])]
        public array $mapWithOption = [],
        #[Context([AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true ])]
        public array $mapWithOptionAndData = ['foo' => 'bar'],
        public array $mapWithoutOption = [],
        public array $mapWithoutOptionAndData = ['foo' => 'bar'],
    ) {
    }
}

Will produce:

{"mapWithOption":{},"mapWithOptionAndData":{"foo":"bar"},"mapWithoutOption":[],"mapWithoutOptionAndData":{"foo":"bar"}}

chalasr

👍

Nyholm

I read the PR title and I was mentally preparing for reviewing a 500+ lines PR of complicated Serializer code.

This looks great. Well done.

Maybe we should take a short moment to discuss the name PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS. Im not sure it is perfect, but I don't have any suggestions Im more comfortable with.
Maybe FORCE_EMPTY_ARRAYS_AS_OBJECT.. Or EMPTY_MAP_AS_OBJECT... hm..

Did you consider anything else before deciding on PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS?

lyrixx · Jul 25, 2021

Did you consider anything else before deciding on PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS?

I did not introduce this constant. It exists for ages, with this exact purpose. 😁

Nyholm · Jul 25, 2021

Oh. Sorry. You are correct. Im all 👍🏽

fabpot · Jul 25, 2021

Thank you @lyrixx.

Foxprodev · Jul 26, 2021

Well. It's weird, starting from 5.4 I have to move from

class A {
    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true])]
    public ArrayObject $map;
    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->map = new ArrayObject();
        $this->map->append(new B());
    }
}
class B {
    public array $list = [];

    public array $anotherListMayBeEmpty;
    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->anotherListMayBeEmpty[] = new C();
    }
}
class C {
    public ArrayObject $index;

    public ArrayObject $settings;

    public ArrayObject $andSoOnObjects;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->index = new ArrayObject();
        $this->settings = new ArrayObject();
        $this->andSoOnObjects = new ArrayObject();
    }
}

to

class A {
    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true])]
    public ArrayObject $map;
    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->map = new ArrayObject();
        $this->map->append(new B());
    }
}
class B {
    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => false])]
    public array $list = [];

    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => false])]
    public array $anotherListMayBeEmpty;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->anotherListMayBeEmpty[] = new C();
    }
}
class C {
    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true])]
    public ArrayObject $index;

    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true])]
    public ArrayObject $settings;

    #[Context(normalizationContext: [AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS => true])]
    public ArrayObject $andSoOnObjects;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->index = new ArrayObject();
        $this->settings = new ArrayObject();
        $this->andSoOnObjects = new ArrayObject();
    }
}

Is it an expected complication? @lyrixx @chalasr @Nyholm
It was pretty expected behavior for me to separate list array's from indexed array's using OOP
That's why PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS was introduced ignoring just empty arrays.

symfony/src/Symfony/Component/Serializer/Serializer.php

Lines 161 to 164 in cd12afe

    
           if (is_iterable($data)) { 
        
               if (($context[AbstractObjectNormalizer::PRESERVE_EMPTY_OBJECTS] ?? false) === true && $data instanceof \Countable && 0 === $data->count()) { 
        
                   return $data; 
        
               }

This option is even named PRESERVE not FORCE like JSON_FORCE_OBJECT

P.S. I am using api-platform and there are so much serializeable nested classes in my projects...

lyrixx · Jul 27, 2021

I'll answer in the issue.

…ect in example (alanpoulain) This PR was merged into the 5.4 branch. Discussion ---------- [Serializer] fix(serializer): missing empty_array_as_object in example This PR: - Replaces `empty_iterable_as_object` by `preserve_empty_objects`, like it should be. - Adds `empty_array_as_object` to example in Serializer Context. - Removes the mention `by default`, since it's `false` by default. Related: - #15554 - #15580 - symfony/symfony#42240 - symfony/symfony#42297 Commits ------- cc54517 fix(serializer): missing empty_array_as_object in example

lyrixx requested a review from dunglas as a code owner July 23, 2021 13:27

carsonbot added Status: Needs Review Feature Serializer labels Jul 23, 2021

[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property

c422e25

lyrixx force-pushed the serializer-map branch from 3cff073 to c422e25 Compare July 23, 2021 13:33

chalasr approved these changes Jul 23, 2021

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carsonbot added Status: Reviewed and removed Status: Needs Review labels Jul 23, 2021

Nyholm approved these changes Jul 24, 2021

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faizanakram99 approved these changes Jul 25, 2021

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fabpot approved these changes Jul 25, 2021

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fabpot mentioned this pull request Jul 25, 2021

[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property symfony/symfony-docs#15554

Closed

fabpot merged commit 01eb18d into symfony:5.4 Jul 25, 2021

lyrixx deleted the serializer-map branch July 25, 2021 15:45

snoob mentioned this pull request Jul 26, 2021

Add preserve_empty_objects support api-platform/core#4363

Closed

Foxprodev mentioned this pull request Jul 27, 2021

[Serializer] preserving empty object breaks current array lists #42282

Closed

This was referenced Nov 5, 2021

Release v5.4.0-BETA1 #43937

Merged

Release v6.0.0-BETA1 #43939

Merged

alanpoulain mentioned this pull request Jul 13, 2022

[Serializer] fix(serializer): missing empty_array_as_object in example symfony/symfony-docs#16977

Merged

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[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property #42240

[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property #42240

lyrixx commented Jul 23, 2021

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lyrixx commented Jul 27, 2021

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[Serializer] Add support for preserving empty object in object property #42240

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