serializer

Library for (de-)serializing data of any complexity (supports JSON, and XML)

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Quick Overview

JMS Serializer is a powerful PHP library for serializing and deserializing data structures. It supports various formats including JSON, XML, and YAML, and provides a flexible way to handle complex object graphs and custom serialization rules.

Pros

Highly customizable with annotations, YAML, XML, or PHP configuration
Supports virtual properties and exclusion strategies
Handles circular references and deep object graphs
Integrates well with popular frameworks like Symfony

Cons

Steeper learning curve compared to simpler serialization libraries
Performance can be slower for large datasets due to its flexibility
Documentation can be overwhelming for beginners
Some features require additional setup or dependencies

Code Examples

Basic serialization to JSON:

use JMS\Serializer\SerializerBuilder;

$serializer = SerializerBuilder::create()->build();
$jsonContent = $serializer->serialize($object, 'json');

Deserialization from XML:

use JMS\Serializer\SerializerBuilder;

$serializer = SerializerBuilder::create()->build();
$object = $serializer->deserialize($xmlContent, 'App\Entity\User', 'xml');

Using annotations for custom serialization:

use JMS\Serializer\Annotation as Serializer;

class User
{
    /**
     * @Serializer\Exclude()
     */
    private $password;

    /**
     * @Serializer\SerializedName("full_name")
     */
    private $name;
}

Getting Started

Install the library using Composer:

composer require jms/serializer

Create a serializer instance:

use JMS\Serializer\SerializerBuilder;

$serializer = SerializerBuilder::create()->build();

Serialize an object:

$jsonContent = $serializer->serialize($object, 'json');

Deserialize data:

$object = $serializer->deserialize($jsonContent, 'App\Entity\YourClass', 'json');

Competitor Comparisons

swagger-php

5,056

A php swagger annotation and parsing library

Pros of Swagger-PHP

Specifically designed for generating OpenAPI (Swagger) documentation
Supports annotations in PHP DocBlocks for easy integration
Includes a CLI tool for generating documentation from PHP source code

Cons of Swagger-PHP

Limited to OpenAPI/Swagger documentation generation
May require more manual configuration for complex API structures
Less flexible for general-purpose serialization tasks

Code Comparison

Swagger-PHP:

/**
 * @OA\Get(
 *     path="/users/{id}",
 *     @OA\Parameter(name="id", in="path", required=true),
 *     @OA\Response(response="200", description="User found")
 * )
 */
public function getUser($id) {
    // ...
}

Serializer:

use JMS\Serializer\Annotation as Serializer;

class User {
    /**
     * @Serializer\Type("string")
     */
    private $name;

    // ...
}

Key Differences

Swagger-PHP focuses on API documentation generation, while Serializer is a more general-purpose serialization/deserialization library. Swagger-PHP uses annotations for OpenAPI specification, whereas Serializer uses annotations for object mapping and transformation. Choose Swagger-PHP for API documentation needs and Serializer for broader serialization requirements in PHP applications.

annotations

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Annotations Docblock Parser

Pros of Annotations

Simpler syntax for defining metadata directly in PHP code
Tighter integration with Doctrine ORM and other Doctrine projects
Widely adopted in the Symfony ecosystem

Cons of Annotations

Requires additional parsing step, potentially impacting performance
Less flexible for complex configurations compared to Serializer
Coupling of metadata with class definitions may lead to less separation of concerns

Code Comparison

Annotations:

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

/**
 * @ORM\Entity
 * @ORM\Table(name="users")
 */
class User
{
    /** @ORM\Id @ORM\Column(type="integer") */
    private $id;
}

Serializer:

use JMS\Serializer\Annotation as Serializer;

class User
{
    /**
     * @Serializer\Type("integer")
     * @Serializer\Groups({"list", "details"})
     */
    private $id;
}

Summary

Annotations is more focused on Doctrine ORM integration and general metadata definition, while Serializer specializes in object serialization and deserialization. Annotations offers a simpler syntax but may be less flexible for complex scenarios. Serializer provides more advanced serialization features but has a steeper learning curve. The choice between them depends on specific project requirements and ecosystem preferences.

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README

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jms/serializer

Introduction

This library allows you to (de-)serialize data of any complexity. Currently, it supports XML and JSON.

It also provides you with a rich tool-set to adapt the output to your specific needs.

Built-in features include:

(De-)serialize data of any complexity; circular references and complex exclusion strategies are handled gracefully.
Supports many built-in PHP types (such as dates, intervals)
Integrates with Doctrine ORM, et. al.
Supports versioning, e.g. for APIs
Configurable via XML, YAML, or Annotations

Documentation

Learn more about the serializer in its documentation.

Notes

You are browsing the code for the 3.x version, if you are interested in the 1.x or 2.x version, check the 1.x and 2.x branches.

The version 3.x is the supported version (master branch). The 1.x and 2.x versions are not supported anymore.

For the 1.x and 2.x branches there will be no additional feature releases.
Security issues will be fixed till the 1st January 2020 and only critical bugs might receive fixes until the 1st September 2019.

Instructions on how to upgrade to 3.x are available in the UPGRADING document.

Professional Support

For eventual paid support please write an email to goetas@gmail.com.

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