DTO Pattern in XOOPS

DTO Pattern (Data Transfer Objects) in XOOPS

2.5.x ✅ 4.0.x ✅

Data Transfer Objects (DTOs) are simple objects used to transfer data between different layers of an application. DTOs help maintain clear boundaries between layers and reduce dependencies on entity objects.

DTO Concept

What is a DTO?

A DTO is:

A simple value object with properties
Immutable or read-only after creation
No business logic or methods
Optimized for data transfer
Independent of persistence mechanisms

When to Use DTOs

Use DTOs when:

Transferring data between layers
Exposing data through APIs
Aggregating data from multiple entities
Hiding internal implementation details
Changing data structure for different consumers

Basic DTO Implementation

<?php
class UserDTO
{
    private $id;
    private $username;
    private $email;
    private $isActive;
    private $createdAt;

    public function __construct($entity = null)
    {
        if ($entity instanceof User) {
            $this->id = $entity->getId();
            $this->username = $entity->getUsername();
            $this->email = $entity->getEmail();
            $this->isActive = $entity->isActive();
            $this->createdAt = $entity->getCreatedAt();
        }
    }

    // Read-only accessors
    public function getId() { return $this->id; }
    public function getUsername() { return $this->username; }
    public function getEmail() { return $this->email; }
    public function isActive() { return $this->isActive; }
    public function getCreatedAt() { return $this->createdAt; }

    public function toArray()
    {
        return [
            'id' => $this->id,
            'username' => $this->username,
            'email' => $this->email,
            'isActive' => $this->isActive,
            'createdAt' => $this->createdAt,
        ];
    }

    public function toJson()
    {
        return json_encode($this->toArray());
    }
}
?>

Request/Input DTO

<?php
class CreateUserRequestDTO
{
    private $username;
    private $email;
    private $password;
    private $errors = [];

    public function __construct(array $data)
    {
        $this->username = $data['username'] ?? '';
        $this->email = $data['email'] ?? '';
        $this->password = $data['password'] ?? '';

        $this->validate();
    }

    private function validate()
    {
        if (empty($this->username) || strlen($this->username) < 3) {
            $this->errors['username'] = 'Username too short';
        }

        if (empty($this->email) || !filter_var($this->email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
            $this->errors['email'] = 'Invalid email';
        }

        if (empty($this->password) || strlen($this->password) < 6) {
            $this->errors['password'] = 'Password too short';
        }
    }

    public function isValid()
    {
        return empty($this->errors);
    }

    public function getErrors()
    {
        return $this->errors;
    }

    public function getUsername() { return $this->username; }
    public function getEmail() { return $this->email; }
    public function getPassword() { return $this->password; }
}
?>

Usage in Services

<?php
class UserService
{
    public function createUserFromRequest(CreateUserRequestDTO $dto)
    {
        if (!$dto->isValid()) {
            throw new ValidationException('Invalid input', $dto->getErrors());
        }

        $user = new User();
        $user->setUsername($dto->getUsername());
        $user->setEmail($dto->getEmail());
        $user->setPassword($dto->getPassword());

        $userId = $this->userRepository->save($user);

        return new UserDTO($user);
    }
}
?>

Usage in API Controllers

<?php
class ApiController
{
    public function createUserAction()
    {
        $input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
        $dto = new CreateUserRequestDTO($input);

        if (!$dto->isValid()) {
            http_response_code(400);
            return ['success' => false, 'errors' => $dto->getErrors()];
        }

        try {
            $userDTO = $this->userService->createUserFromRequest($dto);
            http_response_code(201);
            return ['success' => true, 'data' => $userDTO->toArray()];
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            http_response_code(500);
            return ['success' => false, 'message' => $e->getMessage()];
        }
    }
}
?>

Best Practices

Keep DTOs focused and specific
Make DTOs immutable or read-only
Don’t include business logic in DTOs
Use separate DTOs for input and output
Document DTO properties clearly
Keep DTOs simple - just data containers