Custom Annotation Classes ========================= If you want to define your own annotations you just have to group them in a namespace and register this namespace in the AnnotationRegistry. Annotation classes have to contain a class-level docblock with the text ``@Annotation``: .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Annotations; /** @Annotation */ class Bar { // some code } Inject annotation values ------------------------ The annotation parser check if the annotation constructor has arguments, if so then we will pass the value array, otherwise will try to inject values into public properties directly: .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Annotations; /** * @Annotation * * Some Annotation using a constructor */ class Bar { private $foo; public function __construct(array $values) { $this->foo = $values['foo']; } } /** * @Annotation * * Some Annotation without a constructor */ class Foo { public $bar; } Annotation Target ----------------- ``@Target`` indicates the kinds of class element to which an annotation type is applicable. Then you could define one or more targets: - ``CLASS`` Allowed in the class docblock - ``PROPERTY`` Allowed in the property docblock - ``METHOD`` Allowed in the method docblock - ``ALL`` Allowed in the class, property and method docblock - ``ANNOTATION`` Allowed inside other annotations If the annotations is not allowed in the current context you got an ``AnnotationException`` .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Annotations; /** * @Annotation * @Target({"METHOD","PROPERTY"}) */ class Bar { // some code } /** * @Annotation * @Target("CLASS") */ class Foo { // some code } Attribute types --------------- Annotation parser check the given parameters using the phpdoc annotation ``@var``, The data type could be validated using the ``@var`` annotation on the annotation properties or using the annotations ``@Attributes`` and ``@Attribute``. If the data type not match you got an ``AnnotationException`` .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Annotations; /** * @Annotation * @Target({"METHOD","PROPERTY"}) */ class Bar { /** @var mixed */ public $mixed; /** @var boolean */ public $boolean; /** @var bool */ public $bool; /** @var float */ public $float; /** @var string */ public $string; /** @var integer */ public $integer; /** @var array */ public $array; /** @var SomeAnnotationClass */ public $annotation; /** @var array */ public $arrayOfIntegers; /** @var array */ public $arrayOfAnnotations; } /** * @Annotation * @Target({"METHOD","PROPERTY"}) * @Attributes({ * @Attribute("stringProperty", type = "string"), * @Attribute("annotProperty", type = "SomeAnnotationClass"), * }) */ class Foo { public function __construct(array $values) { $this->stringProperty = $values['stringProperty']; $this->annotProperty = $values['annotProperty']; } // some code } Annotation Required ------------------- ``@Required`` indicates that the field must be specified when the annotation is used. If it is not used you get an ``AnnotationException`` stating that this value can not be null. Declaring a required field: .. code-block:: php /** * @Annotation * @Target("ALL") */ class Foo { /** @Required */ public $requiredField; } Usage: .. code-block:: php /** @Foo(requiredField="value") */ public $direction; // Valid /** @Foo */ public $direction; // Required field missing, throws an AnnotationException Enumerated values ----------------- - An annotation property marked with ``@Enum`` is a field that accept a fixed set of scalar values. - You should use ``@Enum`` fields any time you need to represent fixed values. - The annotation parser check the given value and throws an ``AnnotationException`` if the value not match. Declaring an enumerated property: .. code-block:: php /** * @Annotation * @Target("ALL") */ class Direction { /** * @Enum({"NORTH", "SOUTH", "EAST", "WEST"}) */ public $value; } Annotation usage: .. code-block:: php /** @Direction("NORTH") */ public $direction; // Valid value /** @Direction("NORTHEAST") */ public $direction; // Invalid value, throws an AnnotationException Constants --------- The use of constants and class constants are available on the annotations parser. The following usage are allowed: .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Entity; use MyCompany\Annotations\Foo; use MyCompany\Annotations\Bar; use MyCompany\Entity\SomeClass; /** * @Foo(PHP_EOL) * @Bar(Bar::FOO) * @Foo({SomeClass::FOO, SomeClass::BAR}) * @Bar({SomeClass::FOO_KEY = SomeClass::BAR_VALUE}) */ class User { } Be careful with constants and the cache ! .. note:: The cached reader will not re-evaluate each time an annotation is loaded from cache. When a constant is changed the cache must be cleaned. Usage ----- Using the library API is simple. Using the annotations described in the previous section you can now annotate other classes with your annotations: .. code-block:: php namespace MyCompany\Entity; use MyCompany\Annotations\Foo; use MyCompany\Annotations\Bar; /** * @Foo(bar="foo") * @Bar(foo="bar") */ class User { } Now we can write a script to get the annotations above: .. code-block:: php $reflClass = new ReflectionClass('MyCompany\Entity\User'); $classAnnotations = $reader->getClassAnnotations($reflClass); foreach ($classAnnotations AS $annot) { if ($annot instanceof \MyCompany\Annotations\Foo) { echo $annot->bar; // prints "foo"; } else if ($annot instanceof \MyCompany\Annotations\Bar) { echo $annot->foo; // prints "bar"; } } You have a complete API for retrieving annotation class instances from a class, property or method docblock: Reader API ~~~~~~~~~~ Access all annotations of a class ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getClassAnnotations(\ReflectionClass $class); Access one annotation of a class ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getClassAnnotation(\ReflectionClass $class, $annotationName); Access all annotations of a method ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getMethodAnnotations(\ReflectionMethod $method); Access one annotation of a method ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getMethodAnnotation(\ReflectionMethod $method, $annotationName); Access all annotations of a property ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getPropertyAnnotations(\ReflectionProperty $property); Access one annotation of a property ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. code-block:: php public function getPropertyAnnotation(\ReflectionProperty $property, $annotationName);