[Serializer] Add context builders documentation

components/serializer.rst

@@ -1202,6 +1202,41 @@ Option          Description                                               Defaul
                 to customize the encoding / decoding YAML string
 =============== ========================================================  ==========================
 
+.. _component-serializer-context-builders:
+
+Context Builders
+----------------
+
+Context builders are objects that help creating the :ref:`serialization context <serializer-context>`.
+
+You can easily use context builders by instantiating them::
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Encoder\CsvEncoderContextBuilder;
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Normalizer\ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder;
+
+    $initialContext = [
+        'custom_key' => 'custom_value',
+    ];
+
+    $contextBuilder = (new ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder())
+        ->withContext($initialContext)
+        ->withGroups(['group1', 'group2']);
+
+    $contextBuilder = (new CsvEncoderContextBuilder())
+        ->withContext($contextBuilder->toArray())
+        ->withDelimiter(';');
+
+    $serializer->serialize($something, 'csv', $contextBuilder->toArray());
+
+.. note::
+
+    The Serializer component provides a context builder
+    for each :ref:`normalizer <component-serializer-normalizers>`
+    and :ref:`encoder <component-serializer-encoders>`.
+
+    You can also create custom context builders to deal with your
+    context values. Read more at :doc:`/serializer/custom_context_builders`.
+
 Skipping ``null`` Values
 ------------------------
 

serializer.rst

@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ possible to set the priority of the tag in order to decide the matching order.
     ``DateTime`` or ``DateTimeImmutable`` classes to avoid excessive memory
     usage and exposing internal details.
 
+.. _serializer-context:
+
 Serializer Context
 ------------------
 
@@ -149,6 +151,46 @@ configuration:
             ;
         };
 
+.. _serializer-using-context-builders:
+
+Using Context Builders
+----------------------
+
+To define a proper (de)serialization context, you can leverage context builders.
+Those are objects that help you to create that context by providing
+auto-completion, validation, and documentation::
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Normalizer\DateTimeNormalizerContextBuilder;
+
+    $contextBuilder = (new DateTimeNormalizerContextBuilder())->withFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+
+    $serializer->serialize($something, 'json', $contextBuilder->toArray());
+
+Each normalizer/encoder has its related :ref:`context builder <component-serializer-context-builders>`.
+To create a full (de)serialization context, you will be able to chain them using the
+``withContext`` method. As the ``withContext`` method takes an array as an argument, it is
+also possible to pass custom values to that context::
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Encoder\CsvEncoderContextBuilder;
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Normalizer\ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder;
+
+    $initialContext = [
+        'custom_key' => 'custom_value',
+    ];
+
+    $contextBuilder = (new ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder())
+        ->withContext($initialContext)
+        ->withGroups(['group1', 'group2']);
+
+    $contextBuilder = (new CsvEncoderContextBuilder())
+        ->withContext($contextBuilder->toArray())
+        ->withDelimiter(';');
+
+    $serializer->serialize($something, 'csv', $contextBuilder->toArray());
+
+If you want auto-completion, validation, and documentation for your custom context values,
+you can :doc:`create your context builders </serializer/custom_context_builders>`.
+
 .. _serializer-using-serialization-groups-annotations:
 
 Using Serialization Groups Annotations
@@ -197,11 +239,13 @@ to your class::
 
 You can now choose which groups to use when serializing::
 
-    $json = $serializer->serialize(
-        $product,
-        'json',
-        ['groups' => 'show_product']
-    );
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\Normalizer\ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder;
+
+    $context = (new ObjectNormalizerContextBuilder())
+        ->withGroups('show_product')
+        ->toArray();
+
+    $json = $serializer->serialize($product, 'json', $context);
 
 .. tip::
 
@@ -293,6 +337,7 @@ take a look at how this bundle works.
 
     serializer/custom_encoders
     serializer/custom_normalizer
+    serializer/custom_context_builders
 
 .. _`API Platform`: https://api-platform.com
 .. _`JSON-LD`: https://json-ld.org

serializer/custom_context_builders.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+.. index::
+   single: Serializer; Custom context builders
+
+How to Create your Custom Context Builder
+=========================================
+
+The :doc:`Serializer Component </components/serializer>` uses Normalizers
+and Encoders to transform any data to any data-structure (e.g. JSON).
+That serialization process could be configured thanks to a
+:ref:`serialization context <serializer-context>`, which can be built thanks to
+:ref:`context builders <component-serializer-context-builders>`.
+
+Each built-in normalizer/encoder has its related context builder.
+But, as an example, you may want to use custom context values
+for your :doc:`custom normalizers </serializer/custom_normalizer>`
+and create a custom context builder related to them.
+
+Creating a new context builder
+------------------------------
+
+Let's imagine that you want to handle date denormalization differently if they
+are coming from a legacy system, by converting them to ``null`` if the serialized
+value is ``0000-00-00``. To do that you'll first have to create your normalizer::
+
+    // src/Serializer/ZeroDateTimeDenormalizer.php
+    namespace App\Serializer;
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Normalizer\DenormalizerAwareInterface;
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Normalizer\DenormalizerAwareTrait;
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Normalizer\DenormalizerInterface;
+
+    final class ZeroDateTimeDenormalizer implements DenormalizerInterface, DenormalizerAwareInterface
+    {
+        use DenormalizerAwareTrait;
+
+        public function denormalize($data, string $type, string $format = null, array $context = [])
+        {
+            if ('0000-00-00' === $data) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            unset($context['zero_datetime_to_null']);
+
+            return $this->denormalizer->denormalize($data, $type, $format, $context);
+        }
+
+        public function supportsDenormalization($data, string $type, string $format = null, array $context = [])
+        {
+            return true === ($context['zero_datetime_to_null'] ?? false)
+                && is_a($type, \DateTimeInterface::class, true);
+        }
+    }
+
+You'll therefore be able to cast zero-ish dates to ``null`` during denormalization::
+
+    $legacyData = '{"updatedAt": "0000-00-00"}';
+
+    $serializer->deserialize($legacyData, MyModel::class, 'json', ['zero_datetime_to_null' => true]);
+
+Then, if you don't want other developers to have to remind the precise ``zero_date_to_null`` context key,
+you can create a dedicated context builder::
+
+    // src/Serializer/LegacyContextBuilder
+    namespace App\Serializer;
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Serializer\Context\ContextBuilderTrait;
+
+    final class LegacyContextBuilder
+    {
+        use ContextBuilderTrait;
+
+        public function withLegacyDates(bool $legacy): static
+        {
+            return $this->with('zero_datetime_to_null', $legacy);
+        }
+    }
+
+And finally use it to build the serialization context::
+
+    $legacyData = '{"updatedAt": "0000-00-00"}';
+
+    $context = (new LegacyContextBuilder())
+        ->withLegacyDates(true)
+        ->toArray();
+
+    $serializer->deserialize($legacyData, MyModel::class, 'json', $context);