The starting point for creating a reflection class does not match the typical core reflection API. Instead of instantiating a new \ReflectionClass, you must use the appropriate \Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\Reflector helper.

All *Reflector classes require a class that implements the SourceLocator interface as a dependency.

Better Reflection is, in most cases, able to automatically reflect on classes by using a similar creation technique to PHP's internal reflection. However, this works on the basic assumption that whichever autoloader you are using will attempt to load a file, and only one file, which should contain the class you are trying to reflect. For example, the autoloader that Composer provides will work with this technique.

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;

$classInfo = (new BetterReflection)
    ->reflector()
    ->reflectClass(\Foo\Bar\MyClass::class);

If this instantiation technique is not possible - for example, your autoloader does not load classes from file, then you must use SourceLocator creation.

Fun fact... using the method described above actually uses a SourceLocator under the hood - it uses the AutoloadSourceLocator.

There are several static initialisers you may use based on the same concept. They are as follows:

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflection\ReflectionClass;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflection\ReflectionMethod;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflection\ReflectionParameter;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflection\ReflectionProperty;

ReflectionClass::createFromName(\stdClass::class);
ReflectionClass::createFromInstance(new \stdClass);

ReflectionMethod::createFromName(\SplDoublyLinkedList::class, 'add');
ReflectionMethod::createFromInstance(new \SplDoublyLinkedList, 'add');

ReflectionParameter::createFromClassNameAndMethod(\SplDoublyLinkedList::class, 'add', 'index');
ReflectionParameter::createFromClassInstanceAndMethod(new \SplDoublyLinkedList, 'add', 'index');
ReflectionParameter::createFromSpec([\SplDoublyLinkedList::class, 'add'], 'index');
ReflectionParameter::createFromSpec([new \SplDoublyLinkedList, 'add'], 'index');
ReflectionParameter::createFromSpec('my_function', 'param1');
// Creating a ReflectionParameter from a closure is not supported yet :(

ReflectionProperty::createFromName(\ReflectionFunction::class, 'name');
ReflectionProperty::createFromInstance(new \ReflectionClass(\stdClass::class), 'name');

Source locators are helpers that identify how to load code that can be used within the Reflectors. The library comes bundled with the following SourceLocator classes:

• ComposerSourceLocator - you'll probably use this most of the time. This uses Composer's built-in autoloader to locate a class and return the source.

• SingleFileSourceLocator - this locator loads the filename specified in the constructor.

• StringSourceLocator - pass a string as a constructor argument which will be used directly. Note that any references to filenames when using this locator will be null because no files are loaded.

• AutoloadSourceLocator - this is a little hacky, but works on the assumption that when a registered autoloader identifies a file and attempts to open it, then that file will contain the class. Internally, it works by overriding the file:// protocol stream wrapper to grab the path of the file the autoloader is trying to locate. This source locator is used internally by the ReflectionClass::createFromName static constructor.

• EvaledCodeSourceLocator - used to perform reflection on code that is already loaded into memory using eval()

• PhpInternalSourceLocator - used to perform reflection on PHP's internal classes and functions.

• AnonymousClassObjectSourceLocator - used to perform reflection on an anonymous class object.

• ClosureSourceLocator - used to perform reflection on a closure.

• AggregateSourceLocator - a combination of multiple SourceLocators which are hunted through in the given order to locate the source.

• FileIteratorSourceLocator - iterates all files in a given iterator containing SplFileInfo instances.

• DirectoriesSourceLocator - iterates over all .php files in a list of directories, and all their descendants.

A SourceLocator is a callable, which when invoked must be given an Identifier (which describes a class/function/etc) . The SourceLocator should be written so that it returns a Reflection object directly.

Note that using EvaledCodeSourceLocator and PhpInternalSourceLocator will result in specific types of LocatedSource within the reflection - namely EvaledLocatedSource and InternalLocatedSource respectively.

Note that if you use a locator other than the default and the class you want to reflect extends a built-in PHP class (e.g. \Exception) you'll have to specify PhpInternalSourceLocator in addition to your chosen locator for BetterReflection to detect the built-in class. Example: new AggregateSourceLocator([ new SingleFileSourceLocator(..), new PhpInternalSourceLocator(..)])

The Reflector is used to create Better Reflection ReflectionClass instances. You may pass it any SourceLocator to reflect on any class that can be located using the given that SourceLocator.

There is no need to use the AutoloadSourceLocator directly. Use the static constructors for ReflectionClass and ReflectionFunction:

<?php

$classInfo = ReflectionClass::createFromName('MyClass');
$functionInfo = ReflectionFunction::createFromName('foo');

If you need to inspect code from a project that has a composer.json and its associated vendor/ directory populated, this package offers some factories that ease the setup of the source locator. These are:

• Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\Composer\Factory\MakeLocatorForComposerJsonAndInstalledJson - if you need to inspect project and dependencies
• Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\Composer\Factory\MakeLocatorForComposerJson - if you only want to inspect project sources
• Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\Composer\Factory\MakeLocatorForInstalledJson - if you only want to inspect project dependencies

Here's an example of MakeLocatorForComposerJsonAndInstalledJson usage:

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\SourceStubber\ReflectionSourceStubber;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\AggregateSourceLocator;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\PhpInternalSourceLocator;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\Composer\Factory\MakeLocatorForComposerJsonAndInstalledJson;

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$reflector  = new DefaultReflector(new AggregateSourceLocator([
    (new MakeLocatorForComposerJsonAndInstalledJson)('path/to/the/project', $astLocator),
    new PhpInternalSourceLocator($astLocator, new ReflectionSourceStubber())
]));

$classes = $reflector->reflectAllClasses();

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\ComposerSourceLocator;

$classLoader = require 'vendor/autoload.php';

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$reflector = new DefaultReflector(new ComposerSourceLocator($classLoader, $astLocator));
$reflectionClass = $reflector->reflectClass('Foo\Bar\MyClass');

echo $reflectionClass->getShortName(); // MyClass
echo $reflectionClass->getName(); // Foo\Bar\MyClass
echo $reflectionClass->getNamespaceName(); // Foo\Bar

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\SingleFileSourceLocator;

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$reflector = new DefaultReflector(new SingleFileSourceLocator('path/to/MyApp/MyClass.php', $astLocator));
$reflectionClass = $reflector->reflectClass('MyApp\MyClass');

echo $reflectionClass->getShortName(); // MyClass
echo $reflectionClass->getName(); // MyApp\MyClass
echo $reflectionClass->getNamespaceName(); // MyApp

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\StringSourceLocator;

$code = '<?php class Foo {};';

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$reflector = new DefaultReflector(new StringSourceLocator($code, $astLocator));
$reflectionClass = $reflector->reflectClass('Foo');

echo $reflectionClass->getShortName(); // Foo

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\SingleFileSourceLocator;

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$reflector = new DefaultReflector(new SingleFileSourceLocator('path/to/file.php', $astLocator));
$classes = $reflector->reflectAllClasses();

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\Reflector\DefaultReflector;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\DirectoriesSourceLocator;

$astLocator = (new BetterReflection())->astLocator();
$directoriesSourceLocator = new DirectoriesSourceLocator(['path/to/directory1'], $astLocator);
$reflector = new DefaultReflector($directoriesSourceLocator);
$classes = $reflector->reflectAllClasses();

The Reflector is used to create Better Reflection ReflectionFunction instances. You may pass it any SourceLocator to reflect on any class that can be located using the given SourceLocator.

See example in "Reflecting Classes" section on the same subheading.

<?php

use Roave\BetterReflection\BetterReflection;
use Roave\BetterReflection\SourceLocator\Type\DirectoriesSourceLocator;

$configuration = new BetterReflection();
$astLocator = $configuration->astLocator();
$reflector = $configuration->reflector();

$directoriesSourceLocator = new DirectoriesSourceLocator(['path/to/directory1'], $astLocator);
$functions = $reflector->reflectAllFunctions();

The ReflectionFunction class has a static constructor which you can reflect directly on a closure:

<?php

$myClosure = function () {
    echo "Hello world!\n";
};

$functionInfo = ReflectionFunction::createFromClosure($myClosure);

Note that when you reflect on a closure, in order to match the core reflection API, the function "short" name will be just {closure}.