Remove chained method or whole expression?

[nikophil]

Hello!

I'd like to remove some method calls in a custom rector rule.

This method could be part of a fluent syntax.

Let's say, I want to remove methodA(), here the different cases I can think of:

1. methodA() is in a chained call:

- $var = $object->methodA()->methodB();
+ $var = $object->methodB();

2. methodA() is the only callee in the expression, and it results in another variable. Let's just leave the assignation without the method:

- $var = $object->methodA();
+ $var = $object;

3. methodA() is the only callee in the expression, and it is reassigned to the same var. In this case, we can safely remove the whole expression

- $object = $object->methodA();

4. Same thing if it is not assigned, we can safely remove the whole expression

- $object->methodA();

Cases 1 & 2 are pretty easy to handle, my rector rule looks like something like this:

    public function getNodeTypes() : array
    {
        return [Node\Expr\MethodCall::class, Node\Expr\NullsafeMethodCall::class];
    }

    /** @param Node\Expr\MethodCall|Node\Expr\NullsafeMethodCall $node */
    public function refactor(Node $node) : Node|null
    {
        foreach ($this->removeMethodCalls as $removeMethodCall) {
            if (!$this->isName($node->name, $removeMethodCall->methodName)) {
                continue;
            }

            return $node->var;
        }

        return null;
    }

but how to deal with case 3 & 4 ? I think I'd need to remove the whole expression in order to remove the expression, but the approaches are slightly different than when applying the rule on the MethodCall . Should it be handled in the same rule?

thanks for your help 🙂

[samsonasik]

You can define Expression statement for that:

    public function getNodeTypes() : array
    {
        return [Node\Stmt\Expression::class];
    }

then, use its expr property to verify:

if ($node->expr instanceof MethodCall && $this->isName($node->expr->name, $removeMethodCall->methodName)) {
    return \PhpParser\NodeVisitor::REMOVE_NODE;
}

[nikophil]

Hi, thanks for your answer. Would you do that in the same rule or in another one?

I mean, should I create:

• only one rule which applies on [Node\Stmt\Expression::class, Node\Expr\MethodCall::class]
• only one rule which applies only on [Node\Stmt\Expression::class]
• create two different rules, but I'm afraid they will somehow conflict together?

thanks!

[samsonasik]

Using single rule is fine for:

return [Node\Stmt\Expression::class, Node\Expr\MethodCall::class];

You can remove whole expression or partial MethodCall var/name should work

We have RectifiedAnalyzer to cover reprinted node.

[nikophil]

perfect, thanks for your help! 🙏