Type Safety Done Right - PHP Array Hacking

The author of this text has gained experience in developing larger-scale PHP applications and has encountered common issues that new backend developers often face. They attribute these problems to the way PHP arrays are used, which can be misleading due to their flexibility. The author explains how different programming languages handle collections of data differently, with some using indexed and associative arrays as separate classes, while others use them interchangeably. This difference in design leads to issues when working with PHP arrays, as they can be unclear about the expected type or structure of the data. To address this issue, the author proposes three solutions: generics, array shape hacking, and value objects. Generics are not available in PHP due to engine limitations, but array shape hacking allows extending the built-in `ArrayObject` class to enforce specific types. Value objects provide a simpler solution by requiring classes to be defined with properties and getter/setter methods, which leads to self-documenting code that is strict and explicit. The author shares examples of how these solutions can be implemented in PHP, providing insights into how to write maintainable and robust code.