How to replace phpdocs with new attributes in php 8 - phpdoc

Question

I am using laravel. I need to know how phpdoc can be written in php 8 with attibutes.
/**
* Transform the resource into an array.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Http\Request $request
* #return array
*/
public function toArray($request)
{
//Some code
return [];
}
Can someone please explain how the above code can be written with attributes.

Answer 1

I believe you have misunderstood what Attributes are for, and how they related to doc blocks. There are two common uses of doc blocks (comments marked with /** ... */):
To document the code (hence the name "doc block"), in a mostly-standardised way which can be read by various tools, including documentation generators and IDEs.
To add machine-readable annotations to the code, for use with libraries and frameworks that can automatically generate behaviour based on those. For instance, an ORM might use an annotation of #TableName('Foo') to link a class to a particular database table, and generate appropriate SQL.
The example you've shown is of the first usage. What you have written is still the correct way of writing documentation.
PHP 8's native Attributes replace the second usage. It's up to the library what Attributes to look for, but an ORM that previously looked for #TableName('Foo') in a docblock might now look for #[TableName('Foo')] as a native Attribute instead.

Answer 2

There is a great automatic refractoring tool called rector. It will make your life so much easier. Install it, then create a rector.php file at the root directory that should look like something like this:
<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
use Rector\Config\RectorConfig;
use Rector\Doctrine\Set\DoctrineSetList;
use Rector\Symfony\Set\SensiolabsSetList;
use Rector\Symfony\Set\SymfonySetList;
return static function (RectorConfig $rectorConfig): void {
$rectorConfig->paths([
__DIR__ . '/src',
__DIR__ . '/tests'
]);
$rectorConfig->sets([
DoctrineSetList::ANNOTATIONS_TO_ATTRIBUTES,
SymfonySetList::ANNOTATIONS_TO_ATTRIBUTES,
SensiolabsSetList::FRAMEWORK_EXTRA_61,
]);
};
There are plenty of configuration options that you can find in the docs.
When you are done, just run the refractoring tool:
vendor/bin/rector process src