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Darn Tidy Object (DTO)

DTO stands for Darn Tidy Object, a playful twist on the traditional Data Transfer Object. But this isn’t your average DTO. It’s a fully-loaded toolkit for traversing, transforming, and tidying up structured data in PHP with style, power, and simplicity.

📦 Installation​

composer require maplephp/dto

Why DTO?​

Working with structured data in PHP often means:

  • Deep arrays
  • Missing keys
  • Manual transformations
  • Repetitive helper functions
  • And a sprinkle of isset() nightmares...

DTO eliminates all of that with:

  • ✅ Fluent, chainable data access – Traverse deeply nested arrays like a pro.
  • ✅ Built-in transformation helpers – Strings, numbers, dates, and even DOM elements.
  • ✅ Automatic fallbacks – No more boilerplate isset() or array_key_exists() logic.
  • ✅ Optional immutability – Keep your original data safe when needed.
  • ✅ Multibyte-safe polyfills – Works reliably across all PHP environments.
  • ✅ More than a DTO – Think: lightweight data object meets utility powerhouse.

How It Works​

DTO wraps your data arrays into a powerful, fluent object structure. Instead of cluttered array access, your code becomes expressive and self-documenting.

Before DTO​

$name = isset($data['user']['profile']['name'])
    ? ucfirst(strip_tags($data['user']['profile']['name']))
    : 'Guest';

With DTO​

$name = $obj->user->profile->name
    ->strStripTags()
    ->strUcFirst()
    ->fallback('Guest')
    ->get();

Much tidier, right?

✨ Core Features​

Smart Data Traversal​

Access deeply nested data without ever worrying about undefined keys.

echo $obj->article->tagline->strToUpper();  
// Result: 'HELLO WORLD'

echo $obj->article->content->strExcerpt()->strUcFirst();  
// Result: 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet...'

Explore collections

Built-In Data Transformation​

Transform values directly using built-in helpers like:

Strings (str)​

echo $obj->title->strSlug();  
// Result: 'my-awesome-title'

Explore string formats

Numbers (num)​

echo $obj->filesize->numToFilesize();  
// Result: '1.95 kb'

echo $obj->price->numRound(2)->numToCurrency("USD");  
// Result: $1,999.99

Explore number formats

Dates (clock)​

echo $obj->created_at->clockFormat('d M, Y', 'sv_SE');  
// Result: '21 augusti 2025'

echo $obj->created_at->clockIsToday();  
// Result: true

Explore clock formats

HTML DOM Builder (dom)​

echo $obj->heading->domTag("h1.title");  
// Result: <h1 class="title">My Heading</h1>

Or nest elements with ease:

echo $obj->title->domTag("h1.title")->domTag("header");  
// Result: <header><h1 class="title">Hello</h1></header>

Explore DOM formats

Built-In Collection Support​

Work with arrays of objects just as cleanly:

foreach ($obj->users->fetch() as $user) {
    echo $user->firstName->strUcFirst();
}

Modify Data on the Fly​

Change values directly without verbose conditionals:

$updated = $obj->shoppingList->replace([0 => 'Shampoo']);
print_r($updated->toArray());

Now go forth, write cleaner code, and let DTO handle the messy parts.