Deserialize an attribute of type array of an object without @Type

[moto-billie]

Q	A
Bug report?	yes
Feature request?	no
BC Break report?	no
RFC?	no

Steps required to reproduce the problem

class A {
    private readonly string $name;
    private readonly array $parameters;

    public function __construct(
        string $name,
        array $parameters
    )
    {
        $this->name = $name;
        $this->parameters = $parameters;
    }

    public function getName(): string
    {
        return $this->name;
    }

    public function getParameters(): array
    {
        return $this->parameters;
    }
}

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

$a = new A(
    "Foo",
    [
        "age" => 30,
        "city" => "Berlin",
    ]
);
$aSerialized = $serializer->serialize($a, 'json');
$aDeserialized = $serializer->deserialize($aSerialized, A::class, 'json');

Expected Result

• I would expect to successfully deserialize my object again

Actual Result

• Fatal error: Uncaught JMS\Serializer\Exception\RuntimeException: You must define a type for A::$parameters.

I see in \JMS\Serializer\Metadata\Driver\TypedPropertiesDriver::reorderTypes that array is added as a built-in type. But in \JMS\Serializer\Metadata\Driver\TypedPropertiesDriver::getDefaultWhiteList it is not whitelisted.

Is there a way to inject the allowed list to \JMS\Serializer\Metadata\Driver\TypedPropertiesDriver?

Or is there any way other than using @type annotation to be able to deserialize attributes of type array of objects?

[scyzoryck]

Hi!
Serializer need to know what it inside an array to produce the correct data. Using #[Type] attribute is the one way but it should also work with php docs. Could you try to add phpdoc type like string[] as a type to your property?

[moto-billie]

Hey,
Thanks for the reply.

So, I tried with PhpDoc both:

• /** @var array $parameters */
• /** @var string[] $parameters */

But still faced the same error.

Besides that, your suggestion makes me wonder how /** @JMS\Serializer\Annotation\Type("array") */ works.
Because:

1. I'm just saying this field is an array, not specifying what is inside the array.
2. also the array has both string and integer which with using the @JMS\Serializer\Annotation\Type("array") is working just fine.

I think if there's a way to inject the allowed list to the constructor of \JMS\Serializer\Metadata\Driver\TypedPropertiesDriver the problem will be solved. I see it is in the constructor but couldn't find a straightforward way to just inject this value, and also couldn't find anything in the documentation about it.