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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.

It also makes your life easier by ensuring every piece of data is returned in the correct type-helping. Whether you expect an int, string, bool, or even a callable, DTO gives you strict, reliable access to your data with minimal effort.

📦 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

Correct Type Handling (with ease)​

No more clunky is_numeric checks or intval casts. DTO makes it simple to extract values in the exact type you expect:

$orderId = $dto->order->id->toInt();
// Result: 1234 (int)

Handle flexible types cleanly with fallbacks:

$callback = $dto->settings->onReady->acceptType(['callable', 'null']);
if (is_callable($callback)) {
    $callback();
}

Will throw a BadMethodCallException if the data type is not accepted.

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.