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Reflection Laravel Package
innmind/reflection
Provides a simple object-oriented wrapper around PHP's native reflection API, letting you inspect classes, interfaces, methods, properties and parameters with a cleaner, more predictable interface. Useful for building tooling, dependency injection containers and code analysis.
innmind/reflection provides a small, type-safe abstraction over PHP’s native reflection API. It lets you inspect classes, methods, parameters, and properties without scattering raw Reflection* calls throughout your code, making metadata discovery easier to read, reason about, and test.
- Wraps classes, methods, parameters, and properties in dedicated objects.
- Exposes names, visibility, types, defaults, and documentation metadata.
- Helps build dependency injection, serialization, and framework tooling.
- Hides native reflection details behind a consistent, composable API.
Frequently asked questions about Reflection
- What is innmind/reflection used for in Laravel projects?
- Innmind Reflection is used for runtime inspection of PHP classes, methods, properties, and types. In a Laravel application it can support metadata-driven tooling, object building, data extraction, and other analysis tasks. It is framework-agnostic, so Laravel integration is optional rather than required.
- How do I install innmind/reflection in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer from your Laravel project root using composer require innmind/reflection. The provided context does not describe a Laravel service provider or auto-discovery step, so you should not assume one is required. Check Packagist or the package composer.json for the exact version constraints.
- Does innmind/reflection work with Laravel?
- Yes, it can be used in Laravel because it is a PHP library installable through Composer. It does not appear to depend on Laravel-specific APIs, so you typically use it directly in your own services, actions, or tooling. Confirm the PHP version required by the package matches your Laravel environment.
- Which Laravel versions does innmind/reflection support?
- The provided context does not list Laravel version constraints for this package. Because it is framework-agnostic, compatibility mainly depends on the PHP version required by the package and your Laravel release. Check its composer.json or Packagist page before using it with Laravel 10, 11, 12, or older versions.
- Do I need a service provider or config file for innmind/reflection?
- No service provider or configuration file is mentioned in the package overview. You typically instantiate its reflection classes directly in application code or wrap them in your own Laravel services. If the package documents optional bindings or configuration, follow its README for those details.
- Can innmind/reflection inspect class properties, methods, and parameter types?
- Yes, the package is described as offering a lightweight, composable API for inspecting PHP classes, methods, properties, and types. It is intended to simplify runtime analysis and metadata-driven tooling. You should verify exact API names and return types in the package documentation.
- Can innmind/reflection build objects or extract data from them?
- The package description explicitly says it can build objects and extract data out of them. That makes it relevant for hydration, metadata extraction, and runtime analysis workflows. It is not described as a full ORM, validator, or Laravel-specific serialization layer.
- How is innmind/reflection different from PHP native Reflection?
- PHP native Reflection is powerful but low-level, while Innmind Reflection provides a lightweight, composable API around inspection tasks. The stated goal is to reduce direct reliance on native Reflection classes and simplify metadata-driven tooling. It still analyzes PHP classes, methods, properties, and types at runtime.
- How should I test code that uses innmind/reflection?
- Create fixture classes with known methods, properties, and parameter types, then assert the metadata or built objects your integration produces. Test your own wrapper or service rather than trying to retest the package internals. If you cache reflection results, clear or reset that cache between tests.
- Are there production concerns or alternatives to innmind/reflection?
- Runtime reflection can add overhead, so avoid inspecting the same classes repeatedly on hot paths and cache derived metadata where safe. Alternatives include PHP native Reflection, Symfony PropertyInfo, and other metadata or hydrator libraries depending on your use case. For maintenance status, check the package's Packagist page and repository activity because the provided context does not include release history.
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