ucscode/object-reflector

A reflector that provides access to class encapsulated properties or methods

v2.0.0 2026-02-11 09:26 UTC

Requires

• php: >=8.1

MIT

• Uchenna Ajah

• php
• reflection class
• property access

README

Surgical precision for PHP object manipulation.

ObjectReflector is a lightweight, fluent utility designed to bypass PHP encapsulation. It provides a clean API to interact with private and protected properties or methods without the boilerplate of the native Reflection API.

Optimized for PHP 8.1+ (No setAccessible() required).

🚀 Features

• Fluent Interface: Chain multiple set() and call() operations in a single line.
• Recursive Reflection: Use reflect() to dive into nested object properties instantly.
• Modern PHP: Built to leverage PHP 8.1+ universal reflection access.
• Zero Boilerplate: No more ReflectionClass or ReflectionMethod manual instantiation.

🛠 Installation

composer require ucscode/object-reflector

📖 Usage

1. Basic Manipulation (Fluent)

Reach into any object and modify its state, regardless of visibility.

use Ucscode\ObjectReflector\ObjectReflector;

$reflector = new ObjectReflector($object);

// Assuming "id" and "passwordHash" are private or protected properties
$reflector
    ->set('id', 123)
    ->set('passwordHash', $newHash)
    ->call('updateTimestamps'); // Assuming "updateTimestamps" is a private or protected method

2. Recursive Reflection

If a property contains another object, you can chain reflectors to access the child's internals without creating new variables.

$reflector
    ->reflect('invoice') // Assuming "invoice" is a private object
    ->reflect('client') // Assuming "client" is a private object inside "invoice"
    ->set('due', '$23.00'); // will set "object.invoice.client.due = $23.00"

3. Dynamic Invocation

Invoke methods using variadic arguments or arrays—perfect for hydrating objects from API payloads.

// Variadic
$reflector->call('logAction', 'User Update', 1);

// Array-based (useful for dynamic data)
$reflector->callArray('syncStatus', [
    'status' => 'active', 
    'notified' => true
]);

🎯 Why Use This?

• Testing: Access private state in unit tests without adding public getters.
• Hydration: Map database or API results to strictly encapsulated Domain Entities.
• Legacy Support: Manipulate objects in third-party libraries that didn't provide enough hooks.

⚖️ License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.