Entity Creation Standards

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Here's a comprehensive set of recommendations for entity design.

1. Constructor Approach

• Include only required fields in constructors
• Set default/calculated values like timestamps in the constructor
• Validate inputs directly in the constructor
• Read-only fields should be initialized via constructor
• Example:

  public function __construct(
      string $name,
      string $careOf,
      Gender $gender,
      DateTimeImmutable $dateOfBirth
  ) {
      $this->name = $name;
      $this->careOf = $careOf;
      $this->gender = $gender;
      $this->dateOfBirth = $dateOfBirth;
      $this->joinedAt = new DateTimeImmutable();
  }

2. Setter Methods

• Provide setters for both required and optional fields
• Use a fluent interface (return $this)
• Include validation in setters to prevent invalid states
• Avoid setters for the read-only fields and initialize value via constructor
• Example:

  public function setOwnerType(string $ownerType): self
  {
      $this->validateOwnerType($ownerType);
      $this->ownerType = $ownerType;
      return $this;
  }

3. Type Safety

• Use strong types for properties and method parameters/returns
• Use Symfony's Uid types for identifiers
• Use enums for categorical data
• Consider value objects for complex types

4. Entity Creation Pattern

• Use constructors for domain integrity

• Use setters for optional fields

• Example:

  $user = new User(
      $dto->name,
      $dto->careOf,
      $dto->gender,
      $dto->dateOfBirth
  );
  
  // Optional fields
  if ($dto->nickname) {
      $user->setNickname($dto->nickname);
  }

5. Naming Conventions

• Use *_at suffix for timestamps (e.g., createdAt, uploadedAt)
• Be consistent with existing patterns in your codebase
• Use domain terminology in your method names

6. Validation

• Add domain validation in constructors and setters
• Use Symfony's Assert annotations for additional validation
• Create custom domain exceptions for validation failures

7. Domain Behavior Methods

• Include methods that express domain operations
• Use meaningful names that reflect business operations
• Return $this for method chaining when appropriate
• Example:

  public function verify(FileVerification $verification): self
  {
      $this->verification = $verification;
      $this->status = FileStatus::from($verification->getStatus()->value);
      return $this;
  }