$object->get('foo'); is hard to unbox

[lachlankrautz]

I have an array object with a nested value "foo" that is sometimes an array sometimes a string.

I need to access "foo" and get the underlying object not another ArrayObject

When "foo" = [] I get an array object that I can call toArray to get the underlying value
When "foo" = "bar" my code tries to call toArray and fails

/**
 * @return Generator
 */
function getArrayObject() {
    // foo is string
    yield ArrayObject::fromArray([
        'foo' => 'bar',
    ]);

    // foo is array
    yield ArrayObject::fromArray([
        'foo' => [
            'bar',
        ],
    ]);
}

foreach (getArrayObject() as $arrayObject) {
    $arrayObject->get('foo')->toArray();
}

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to a member function toArray() on string

Suggestions:

• make "unbox" static so I can use something like this

ArrayObject::unbox($arrayObject->get('foo'));

• Add a get function that doesn't box

$arrayObject->getRaw('foo');

• Add a third flags param to get

// bitwise is cool
$arrayObject->get('foo', null, ArrayObject::NO_BOX);

// or just bool but no more flags possible
$arrayObject->get('foo', null, false);