Custom Type Converters

Custom Type Converters in PHP AutoMapper allow you to define custom conversion logic for specific types. This can be particularly useful in scenarios where the default conversion logic does not meet your requirements or when you need to perform complex transformations.

For example, you might have a DateTime object in your source class that you want to convert to a formatted string in your destination class. Or, you might have a complex object that you want to flatten into a simple string or array in your destination class.

By implementing the TypeConverterInterface, you can define exactly how these conversions should be performed.

Using custom type converters can provide several benefits:

Flexibility: You can define exactly how conversions should be performed, giving you full control over the mapping process.
Reusability: Once defined, a custom type converter can be reused across multiple mappings.
Complex transformations: Custom type converters allow you to perform complex transformations that would not be possible with the default conversion logic.

How to Create a Custom Type Converter

To create a custom type converter, you need to create a class that implements the TypeConverterInterface. This interface has a single method convert that you need to implement.

Here's an example:

use Backbrain\Automapper\Contract\ResolutionContextInterface;
use Backbrain\Automapper\Contract\TypeConverterInterface;

class CustomDateTimeToStringConverter implements TypeConverterInterface
{
    public function convert(mixed $source, ResolutionContextInterface $context): mixed
    {
        // Implement your custom conversion logic here.
        // This is a simple example that converts a DateTime object to a formatted string.
        if ($source instanceof \DateTime) {
            return $source->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
        }

        return $source;
    }
}

In this example, CustomDateTimeToStringConverter is implementing TypeConverterInterface. The convert method is responsible for converting a DateTime object to a formatted string.

To use your custom type converter, you need to specify it in your MapperConfiguration:

$config = new MapperConfiguration(fn (Config $config) => $config
    ->createMap(\DateTime::class, 'string')
        ->convertUsing(new CustomDateTimeToStringConverter())
);

In this configuration, AutoMapper will use CustomDateTimeToStringConverter to convert DateTime objects to strings.

How to Create a Custom Type Converter​

How to Create a Custom Type Converter