Allow building criteria with arrays

[Alexander Makarov]

Syntax could be something like:

$filter = $aaa->where([
  ['and', 'id', '>', 3],
  ['and', ['or', ['temperature', '<', 10], ['temperature', '>', 30]] ],
  ['and', 'name', like', '%agent%'],
];

See https://yiiframework.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=52964

[Pavel Chaplygin]

There already is "filter to array" transformation in IterableDataReader:

$filter = null;
if ($this->filter !== null) {
    $filter = $this->filter->toArray();
}

Could be replaced with

$filter = $this->filter instanceof FilterInterface
    ? $this->filter->toArray()
    : $this->filter;

So well-formed filter will work properly. But there will be problems with incorrect filters (kind of ['and', 'id', '>']) and will require some extra validation.

UPD:
I thought and IMHO that should not be done.
In Yii2, newbies have always had problems setting conditions for where. Just look at the popularity of the questions "Operator '{operator}' requires {N} operands". And even more experienced often have to google the correct order of operands. When using objects at the same time, the correctness of the constructed $filter array is guaranteed, and the author of the code sees the types and names of constructor parameters so as not to confuse.

[romkatsu]

@pchapl Yes, objects are better. But it seems here the speech about that there was an opportunity to use arrays.

[Alexander Makarov]

It is more about working with a special filter string that comes from request like it's done for sorting.

In Yii 2 REST APIs there was ability to specify filtering as JSON.

Requirements are:

1. It should be as short as possible.
2. It should be readable.
3. Some filters could be disabled for some fields (tricky part).

[Alexander Makarov]

Overall, it can be done with a separate component so could be safely postponed or done in another package such as GridView.

[Márton Somogyi]

$filter = $aaa->where([
  ['and', 'id', '>', 3],
  ['and', ['or', ['temperature', '<', 10], ['temperature', '>', 30]] ],
  ['and', 'name', like', '%agent%'],
];

I would limit the use of this to simplify code.

$filter = new All()->withArray([
  ['<', 'id', 22],
  ['or',
    ['>', 'apple', 33],
    ['!=', 'peach', 44], 
  ]
])

$filter = new Any(
  new All(new Equals(), ...),
  new All()->withArray([...]),
)

Arrays would be limited to the All class, this method would allow all kinds of use. The All class is working on arrays, so much easier code is created.

[Alexander Makarov]

All or Any. Yes, good idea.