cannot resolve default property values of DataCollection type

[quyle92]

Hi,
I have this DTO class with nested collection of Decklist:

class CharacterClassData extends Data
{
    public function __construct(
        /** @var DataCollection<Decklist> */
        public DataCollection $decklist,
    ) {
    }
}

class Decklist extends Data
{
    public function __construct(
        public ?string $action_id = "",
        public ?int $quantity = 0,
        public ?bool $innate = false,
    ) {
    }
}

I am trying to convert current model instance to a data object by using WithData trait:

class CharacterClass extends Model{
    use WithData;
    
    protected $dataClass = CharacterClassData::class;
}

but when using getData() method, I cannot get default values defined in Decklist class, i.e calling $character_class->getData() only returns empty array.
But I want it to return default values of defined in Decklist class like so:

 [[
    'action_id' => "",
    'quantity' => null,
    'innate' => null,
]]

How can I achieve this please?

[Nir-An]

Hi @quyle92

I think that is not theoretical dto, we talking about dto with the context and data from the model!

so the default values should come from the model himself.

https://laravel.com/docs/9.x/eloquent#default-attribute-values

in MVC aspects you don't want more than one source to get the values.
In the end, a dto is only a kind of an object 👍
the logic and default values leave to model to be changed on them.

[quyle92]

Hi @Nir-An ,
Thanks for your answer... But the issue is if the property's data type is of nested data object, default values can be retrieved, i.e. if I edit the above code from:

public function __construct(
        /** @var DataCollection<Decklist> */
        public DataCollection $decklist,
    ) {
    }

to:

public function __construct(
        public Decklist $decklist,
    ) {
    }

Then I can get the default $decklist values defined in Decklist class without any issue.

Also, the $attributes is used when you want to initialize a new instance from a model, i.e
$character_class = new CharacterClass;
then only in this case, default value that was defined in $attributes property would take effect.

[Nir-An]

Hi @quyle92

Can you add please the imputation of the getData method?

Thanks for your explanation! 👍

[quyle92]

imputation of the getData()? I am not sure what you mean?

[rubenvanassche]

What's the value of $character_class? Is it an empty model or one that exists? Actually that probably doesn't matter since the data object will be constructed from the values of the model and ignoring the default values since they're defined on the model.

[quyle92]

What's the value of $character_class? Is it an empty model or one that exists? Actually that probably doesn't matter since the data object will be constructed from the values of the model and ignoring the default values since they're defined on the model.

$character_class is a Model instance, but when the value of $decklist property is empty, instead of empty array, I want it to be able to return default values (which I've already defined in Decklist data class) like so:

 [[
    'action_id' => "",
    'quantity' => null,
    'innate' => null,
]]

[rubenvanassche]

The package cannot do this automatically do this for you, though I would take a look at custom creation methods. You probably could create one for the model and already add some default data there.