PHP 8 Immutable Attribute

[svnldwg]

PHP 8 will enable attributes. PhpStorm 2020.3 introduces an immutable Attribute: https://blog.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/2020/10/phpstorm-2020-3-eap-4/#immutable

The immutable rule should detect this attribute and ensure immutability.

[staabm]

The phpstorm immutable attribute allows readonly access to public properties of immutable classes.

as I read the unit tests of this package, it seems public properties are per se disallowed… wdyt about allowing read-only access from outside, even for public properties on immutable classes?

[svnldwg]

@staabm interesting question, I wasn't aware that phpstorm handles the immutable attribute that way.

Immutability how I understand it means that an object is immutable in terms of it is simply not possible to change the object after its initialization. Public properties make objects mutable, they can change, even if that never actually happens. That's why I think it's dangerous to use public properties if immutability is the goal. I don't want to have to rely on my IDE or other tools to make sure the object isn't actually mutated, but the immutability should be ensured by definition.

[staabm]

interesting question, I wasn't aware that phpstorm handles the immutable attribute that way.

I wasn't aware of it either, but I learned it from the url you posted in the initial description :-).

tbh we are happily relying on our dev tools and static analysis and therefore love to use public read-only properties.
we don't like getters/setters in our value-objects