Example of how to use DataContain to make entities.

data-contain-play.php

<?php

include __DIR__.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'vendor'.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'autoload.php';

class Entity extends DataContain\Container {
    
    /**
     * @var DataContain\DefinitionContainer
     */
    protected $attributes;
    
    public function __construct(array $data = array(), DataContain\DefinitionContainer $attributes = null)
    {
        // Make a new definition container if one isn't passed
        if(null === $attributes) $attributes = new DataContain\DefinitionContainer;
        // Set some attributes for this entity
        $this->attributes = $attributes;
        // Call the actual 'DataContain\Container' constructor
        parent::__construct($data, $attributes);
    }
    
    // Must implement
    public function getDefinitionConfig()
    {
        return $this->attributes;
    }
    
}

class User extends Entity {
    
    public function __construct(array $data = array())
    {
        // Whip up some attributes for this puppy
        $firstnameAttribute = new DataContain\Definition('firstname', false, '', 'string');
        $roleAttribute = new DataContain\Definition('role', true, 'user', 'string');
        // Shove them into a definition container
        $attributes = new DataContain\DefinitionContainer(array($firstnameAttribute, $roleAttribute));
        // Manually set the role, else this thing throws an exception
        $data['role'] = 'user';
        // Call the Entity constructor
        parent::__construct($data, $attributes);
    }
    
}

// Note: If 'firstname' attribute definition is set to 'required', this throws an exception.
//       It doesn't necessarily makes sense to do that. There are plenty of times when you may
//       want to just get an instance of an object and set its properties later.
$user = new User;

// Just dumps for testing
var_dump($user->getArrayCopy());

// Throws exception, which is expected
var_dump($user['email']);