php-parser/doc/4_Code_generation.markdown

Code generation

It is also possible to generate code using the parser, by first creating an Abstract Syntax Tree and then using the pretty printer to convert it to PHP code. To simplify code generation, the project comes with builders which allow creating node trees using a fluid interface, instead of instantiating all nodes manually. Builders are available for the following syntactic elements:

• namespaces and use statements
• classes, interfaces and traits
• methods, functions and parameters
• properties

Here is an example:

<?php
$factory = new PhpParser\BuilderFactory;
$node = $factory->namespace('Name\Space')
    ->addStmt($factory->use('Some\Other\Thingy')->as('SomeOtherClass'))
    ->addStmt($factory->class('SomeClass')
        ->extend('SomeOtherClass')
        ->implement('A\Few', '\Interfaces')
        ->makeAbstract() // ->makeFinal()

        ->addStmt($factory->method('someMethod')
            ->makePublic()
            ->makeAbstract() // ->makeFinal()
            ->addParam($factory->param('someParam')->setTypeHint('SomeClass'))
            ->setDocComment('/**
                              * This method does something.
                              *
                              * @param SomeClass And takes a parameter
                              */')
        )

        ->addStmt($factory->method('anotherMethod')
            ->makeProtected() // ->makePublic() [default], ->makePrivate()
            ->addParam($factory->param('someParam')->setDefault('test'))
            // it is possible to add manually created nodes
            ->addStmt(new PhpParser\Node\Expr\Print_(new PhpParser\Node\Expr\Variable('someParam')))
        )

        // properties will be correctly reordered above the methods
        ->addStmt($factory->property('someProperty')->makeProtected())
        ->addStmt($factory->property('anotherProperty')->makePrivate()->setDefault(array(1, 2, 3)))
    )

    ->getNode()
;

$stmts = array($node);
$prettyPrinter = new PhpParser\PrettyPrinter\Standard();
echo $prettyPrinter->prettyPrintFile($stmts);

This will produce the following output with the standard pretty printer:

<?php

namespace Name\Space;

use Some\Other\Thingy as SomeClass;
abstract class SomeClass extends SomeOtherClass implements A\Few, \Interfaces
{
    protected $someProperty;
    private $anotherProperty = array(1, 2, 3);
    /**
     * This method does something.
     *
     * @param SomeClass And takes a parameter
     */
    public abstract function someMethod(SomeClass $someParam);
    protected function anotherMethod($someParam = 'test')
    {
        print $someParam;
    }
}