Nette PHP Generator

There are two ways to build objects from existing code, depending on whether you need access to method bodies or default values:

1. Factory: Uses reflection only. It does not perform I/O or require nikic/php-parser. It is fast but cannot access method bodies or parameter defaults.
2. Extractor: Parses source code using nikic/php-parser. It is required when you need to access bodies or defaults. You must explicitly opt-in using .withBodies(). If php-parser is not installed, the Extractor constructor will throw a NotSupportedException.

Warning on Member Relocation: When using ClassManipulator::inheritMethod() or implement(), the library copies members without rewriting types or bodies. Because self, static, and parent are kept verbatim, they may silently refer to the wrong class in the new context.

You can use placeholders in setBody() or addBody() to easily insert variables into the generated code:

• ?: Simple placeholder for values.
• ...?: Placeholder for variadic/unpacking (e.g., ...$items).
• ...?:: Placeholder for named parameters (PHP 8+).
• \?: Escaped placeholder for a literal question mark.

The library uses a specific model for class and function names that differs from standard PHP Reflection:

• Short vs Full Names: For ClassLike objects, getName() returns the short name, while getFullName() returns the Fully Qualified Name (FQN). This is the opposite of ReflectionClass::getName().
• Name Resolution: PhpNamespace::resolveName expands short or aliased names to an FQN. PhpNamespace::simplifyName reduces an FQN to the shortest form allowed by current use statements.
• Type Simplification: PhpNamespace::simplifyType applies simplifyName to every name within a type string via regex.
• Keywords: self, parent, and static are treated as keywords via Helpers::Keywords and are left untouched by resolution or simplification engines.

Download and install the library using the Composer tool. PhpGenerator 4.2 is compatible with PHP 8.1 to 8.5.

composer require nette/php-generator

Use Nette\PhpGenerator\PhpFile to group namespaces, classes, and functions into a single file. You can set strict types using setStrictTypes() and add file-level comments.

$file = new Nette\PhpGenerator\PhpFile;
$file->addComment('This file is auto-generated.');
$file->setStrictTypes();

$class = $file->addClass('Foo\A');
$function = $file->addFunction('Foo\foo');

echo $file;

To create an anonymous class, pass null as the name to the ClassType constructor.

$class = new Nette\PhpGenerator\ClassType(null);
$class->addMethod('__construct')
	->addParameter('foo');

echo '$obj = new class ($val) ' . $class . ';';

To output a short arrow function (fn() => ...), use the printArrowFunction() method of a Printer instance with a Closure object.

$closure = new Nette\PhpGenerator\Closure;
$closure->setBody('$a + $b');
$closure->addParameter('a');
$closure->addParameter('b');

echo (new Nette\PhpGenerator\Printer)->printArrowFunction($closure);

Types can be passed as strings or using Nette\PhpGenerator\Type constants. This applies to setType() and setReturnType().

use Nette\PhpGenerator\Type;

$member->setType('array'); // or Type::Array
$member->setType('?array'); // or Type::nullable(Type::Array)
$member->setType('array|string'); // or Type::union(Type::Array, Type::String)
$member->setType('Foo&Bar'); // or Type::intersection(Foo::class, Bar::class)
$member->setType(null); // removes the type

Use addMethod() to create a Method object. You can set return types, visibility, and bodies. Use addParameter() on the method to define parameters, including type hints, references, and default values. For PHP 8.0+ promoted parameters, use addPromotedParameter() on the method.

$method = $class->addMethod('count')
	->addComment('Count it.')
	->setFinal()
	->setProtected()
	->setReturnType('?int') // return types for methods
	->setBody('return count($items ?: $this->items);');

$method->addParameter('items', []) // $items = []
	->setReference()           // &$items = []
	->setType('array');        // array &$items = []

// Promoted parameters
$method = $class->addMethod('__construct');
$method->addPromotedParameter('name');
$method->addPromotedParameter('args', [])
	->setPrivate();