How to set a default value for a property.

[jonothedev]

How can we set a default value for a property? For example, if i were to create a data object, but set a value for a property from two other properties..

public string $first_name
public string $last_name

Then set a default value for username

$this->username = $this->first_name . '_' . $this->last_name;

Is this possible?

[wivaku]

Support in Laravel Data is PHP's support for simple regular class property defaults, e.g.

class UserData extends Data
{
  public function __construct(
    public string $username = 'unknown',
  ) {}

For what you describe: duplicate of #414

[linaspasv]

Support in Laravel Data is PHP's support for simple regular class property defaults, e.g.

class UserData extends Data
{
  public function __construct(
    public string $username = 'unknown',
  ) {}

For what you describe: duplicate of #414

but what about if I want to load default values from lets say enum? Regular PHP does not allow assignments like these.

e.g.

#[MapName(SnakeCaseMapper::class)]
class Settings extends Data
{
    public function __construct(
        public array $acceptedDeliveryTypes = []     // I would like this to have defaults of OrderDeliveryType::values() fed from enum.
    ) {

    }

[Nir-An]

Hi @jonothedev :)

If the source of true is coming from the model , Should we need default property in the dto ?

Why not added default values in the models inserted ?
https://laravel.com/docs/10.x/eloquent#default-attribute-values

[czuniga9]

Hi,
I've been looking at a similar issue and came out with adding a static function that massages the input into something the constructor is happy with, so for this example:

class User extends Data
{
    public function __construct(
        public string $username,
    ) {}

    public static function createFromApiX(array $data): static
    {
        return static::from([
            'username' => $data['first_name'] . '_' . $data['last_name'],
        ]);
    }
}

$obj = User::createFromApiX([
    'first_name' => 'foo',
    'last_name'  => 'bar',
]);
assert('foo_bar' === $obj->username);

But I wonder if there's any drawbacks to this? One already is that I can't pass a json string directly like you can with from without more code. Another issue I found is that I can't use fromApiX as the method name, it seems to fail when the function starts with from.

[linaspasv]

Hi, I've been looking at a similar issue and came out with adding a static function that massages the input into something the constructor is happy with, so for this example:

class User extends Data
{
    public function __construct(
        public string $username,
    ) {}

    public static function createFromApiX(array $data): static
    {
        return static::from([
            'username' => $data['first_name'] . '_' . $data['last_name'],
        ]);
    }
}

$obj = User::createFromApiX([
    'first_name' => 'foo',
    'last_name'  => 'bar',
]);
assert('foo_bar' === $obj->username);

But I wonder if there's any drawbacks to this? One already is that I can't pass a json string directly like you can with from without more code. Another issue I found is that I can't use fromApiX as the method name, it seems to fail when the function starts with from.

Why not just use User::from directly? :)

[czuniga9]

Because I need to modify the array before passing it to User::from

[rubenvanassche]

I've added some extra docs on default values + a computed value support, should be landing later today.