Discover the Serializer component

The Symfony’s Serializer component exists since version 2 of Symfony, but lately it has been improved and includes a lot of new features.

During this talk, I’ll present the unknown but very powerful features of this library.

After a reminder of the basics, we’ll discover how the component enables the use of any type of PHP object, whatever their styles : getters / setters, public properties, proxys…

Then, we’ll see the different formats natively supported : JSON, XML, YAML and CSV. We’ll also use dates, and mention the file upload with the « data : URI » support.

Finally, we’ll study more complex cases such as choosing the properties to serialize / unserialize thanks to groups, managing circular references, serializing trees by limiting their depth and updating the existing objects.

Transcript

1. DISCOVER THE SERIALIZER COMPONENT
   Sarah Khalil
   @saro0h
   

   View Slide

2. WHAT’S THE PLAN?
   1. Serialization? What’s that?
   2. Architecture of the Serializer component
   3. Usage of the Serializer component in
   Symfony full stack
   

   View Slide

3. A BIT OF HISTORY FIRST
   

   View Slide

4. “Before 2.7:
   

   View Slide

5. View Slide

6. “From Symfony 2.7 & next
   Tons of new features
   … and keeps counting
   Better integration with other libraries
   As powerful as the JMSSerializer!
   

   View Slide

7. “From Symfony 2.7 & next
   Tons of new features
   … and keeps counting
   Better integration with other libraries
   As powerful as the JMSSerializer!
   

   View Slide

8. View Slide

9. Track B
   
   

   View Slide

10. 1. WHAT’S THAT?
    

    View Slide

11. “Serialization is the process of translating data
    structure or object state into a format that can
    be stored and reconstructed later in the same
    or another computer environment.
    -Adapted from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/serialization
    

    View Slide

12. “Serialization is the process of translating data
    structure or object state into a format that can
    be stored and reconstructed later in the same
    or another computer environment.
    -Adapted from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/serialization
    

    View Slide

13. Object
    Formated
    String
    Basically…
    

    View Slide

14. WHICH KIND OF FORMATED STRING?
    Textual
    Human readable / editable
    JSON, XML…
    Binary
    Smaller, faster
    Protocol buffers…
    

    View Slide

15. WHEN YOU SHOULD USE SERIALIZATION?
    Send / Receive data thanks an API
    Send / Receive data through messaging system (AMQP)
    Detect changes (for tests for instance)
    Store data in database (RDBMS, Elasticsearch, Redis)
    

    View Slide

16. WHEN YOU SHOULD USE SERIALIZATION?
    Send / Receive data thanks an API
    Send / Receive data through messaging system (AMQP)
    Detect changes (for tests for instance)
    Store data in database (RDBMS, Elasticsearch, Redis)
    

    View Slide

17. Why not use
    PHP functions?
    serialize()/unserialize()
    

    View Slide

18. Why not use
    PHP functions?
    serialize()/unserialize()
    Powerful but not easily configurable
    

    View Slide

19. “Here comes the Serializer component!
    

    View Slide

20. “Here comes the Serializer component!
    

    View Slide

21. 2. WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE
    SYMFONY SERIALIZER?
    

    View Slide

22. 2. Component’s architecture
    

    View Slide

23. Normalizers
    2. Component’s architecture
    

    View Slide

24. Normalizers
    Encoders
    2. Component’s architecture
    

    View Slide

25. Normalizers
    Encoders
    Serializer
    2. Component’s architecture
    

    View Slide

26. Let’s talk about Normalizers (and Denormalizers)
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

27. OBJECT NORMALIZER (FROM OBJECT TO ARRAY)
    GetSetMethodNormalizer Uses getters and setters
    PropertyNormalizer Uses Reflection
    CustomNormalizer Uses $object->normalize();
    ObjectNormalizer Uses PropertyAccess Component
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

28. OBJECT NORMALIZER (FROM OBJECT TO ARRAY)
    GetSetMethodNormalizer Uses getters and setters
    PropertyNormalizer Uses Reflection
    CustomNormalizer Uses $object->normalize();
    ObjectNormalizer Uses PropertyAccess Component
    Take a look at the other existing
    Normalizers
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

29. COOL EXTRA NORMALIZER
    DataUriNormalizer Turns SplFileInfo into data:uri
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

30. NORMALIZER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

31. DENORMALIZER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Normalizer
    

    View Slide

32. Let’s talk about Encoders (and Decoders)
    2. Component’s architecture > Encoder
    

    View Slide

33. NATIVE ENCODERS (FROM ARRAY TO YOUR CHOSEN FORMAT)
    JsonEncoder
    XmlEncoder
    CsvEncoder
    YamlEncoder
    2. Component’s architecture > Encoder
    

    View Slide

34. ENCODER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Encoder
    

    View Slide

35. DECODER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Encoder
    

    View Slide

36. Let’s talk about Serializers (and Deserializers)
    2. Component’s architecture > Serializer
    

    View Slide

37. CREATE YOUR SERIALIZER
    2. Component’s architecture > Serializer
    

    View Slide

38. SERIALIZER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Serializer
    

    View Slide

39. DESERIALIZER USAGE
    2. Component’s architecture > Serializer
    

    View Slide

40. 3. USE THE SERIALIZER IN
    SYMFONY FULL STACK
    

    View Slide

41. https://github.com/symfony/symfony-demo
    3. Serializer usage
    

    View Slide

42. FIRST STEP: ENABLE THE COMPONENT
    3. Serializer usage
    

    View Slide

43. “Let’s build an API on top of symfony
    demo app
    3. Serializer usage
    

    View Slide

44. “Let’s build an API on top of symfony
    demo app
    3. Serializer usage
    

    View Slide

45. “
    It’s all about serialization
    and deserialization
    3. Serializer usage
    

    View Slide

46. SERIALIZATION
    

    View Slide

47. CREATE A CONTROLLER
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

48. 3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

49. 3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

50. WHAT WE WANT WHEN SERIALIZED
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

51. Let’s see how it’s easy!
    CONFIGURATION:
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

52. Let’s see how it’s easy!
    CONFIGURATION:
    1. Groups of serialization
    2. Name converter
    3. Max depth
    4. Add more information to your presentation
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization
    

    View Slide

53. Groups of serialization
    CONFIGURATION TIPS 1/4:
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (1/4)
    

    View Slide

54. GROUPS OF SERIALIZATION
    Choose which properties is going to be (de)serialized
    Use cases:
    For read / write access
    For security (public, connected user, admin user)
    For API versionning
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (1/4)
    

    View Slide

55. Configuration in your Entity
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (1/4)
    

    View Slide

56. Use your groups for the serialization
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (1/4)
    

    View Slide

57. [
    {
    "id": 31,
    "publishedAt": "2017-03-22T19:10:11+01:00",
    "summary": "This is the summary",
    "title": "This is the title #31"
    },
    {
    "id": 32,
    "publishedAt": "2017-03-21T19:10:11+01:00",
    "summary": "This is the summary",
    "title": "This is the title #32"
    }
    LET’S SEE THE RESULT
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (1/4)
    

    View Slide

58. Name Converter
    CONFIGURATION TIPS 2/4:
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (2/4)
    

    View Slide

59. 3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (2/4)
    

    View Slide

60. [
    {
    "id": 31,
    "published_at": "2017-03-22T19:10:11+01:00",
    "summary": "This is the summary",
    "title": "This is the title #31"
    },
    {
    "id": 32,
    "published_at": "2017-03-21T19:10:11+01:00",
    "summary": "This is the summary",
    "title": "This is the title #32"
    }
    LET’S SEE THE RESULT
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (2/4)
    

    View Slide

61. View Slide

62. View Slide

63. View Slide

64. View Slide

65. Max Depth
    CONFIGURATION TIPS 3/4:
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (3/4)
    

    View Slide

66. 3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (3/4)
    

    View Slide

67. View Slide

68. View Slide

69. Add more data with Custom
    Object Normalizer
    CONFIGURATION TIPS 4/4:
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

70. CUSTOM OBJECT NORMALIZER
    Allows you to tweak the normalization
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

71. CUSTOM OBJECT NORMALIZER
    Allows you to tweak the normalization
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

72. CUSTOM OBJECT NORMALIZER
    Allows you to tweak at PHP level the normalization
    Add or remove some data, for instance:
    computed data (total number of comments, canonical URL…)
    Hypermedia!
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

73. 1/3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

74. 1/3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

75. 2/3
    * call the normalize() method, and then do whatever you want with the result
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

76. 3/3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

77. LET’S SEE THE RESULT
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Configuration tips (4/4)
    

    View Slide

78. ONE LAST COOL THING WITH SERIALIZATION
    CIRCULAR REFERENCES
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

79. ONE LAST COOL THING WITH SERIALIZATION
    CIRCULAR REFERENCES
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

80. View Slide

81. View Slide

82. USE CASE
    By default, when serializing the Post object, an exception
    will be thrown because of the circular reference.
    1 0..n
    Comment
    Post $post
    Post
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

83. USE CASE
    By default, when serializing the Post object, an exception
    will be thrown because of the circular reference.
    1 0..n
    Comment
    Post $post
    Post
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

84. 1/3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

85. 2/3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

86. 2/3
    Before 3.3
    From 3.3
    3. Serializer usage> Serialization > Circular reference
    

    View Slide

87. DESERIALIZATION
    

    View Slide

88. COMMON WAY OF DESERIALIZING
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization
    

    View Slide

89. “Validate your data!
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

90. “Validate your data!
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

91. VALIDATE DATA! 1/2
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

92. VALIDATE DATA! 2/2
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

93. MANAGE THE SERIALISATION OF ConstraintViolationList
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

94. MANAGE THE SERIALISATION OF ConstraintViolationList
    Shipped with
    
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

95. LET’S SEE THE RESULT IF THE DATA ARE NOT VALID
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

96. LET’S SEE THE RESULT IF THE DATA ARE VALID
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > Validation
    

    View Slide

97. DESERIALIZE INTO AN OBJECT
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > In object
    

    View Slide

98. DESERIALIZE OF ARRAY
    3. Serializer usage> Deserialization > In array
    

    View Slide

99. TO SUM UP
    

    View Slide

100. TO SUM UP
     

     View Slide

101. View Slide

102. Use groups
     Create normalizers for each serialized
     entity
     Manage circular references
     

     View Slide

103. Use groups
     Create normalizers for each serialized
     entity
     Manage circular references
     

     View Slide

104. @catlannister
     Thank you!
     * Thanks to @lyrixx
     

     View Slide