Language: Magic methods (__get, __set, __call, __toString)

[PurHur]

Category

language

Status (refreshed 2026-06-01)

VM + AOT magic dispatch is implemented for __get, __set, __call, __callStatic, and __toString (see docs/capabilities-syntax.md — VM yes, AOT yes). Compliance: test/compliance/cases/language/ magic-method PHPTs.

Remaining gap: JIT still deopts or errors on undeclared property access instead of lowering magic handlers — tracked in #4066 (filed this run).

This issue remains the umbrella tracker for magic-method parity; close when VM + JIT + AOT matrix row is all yes.

Problem (original)

Property fetch on objects without declared properties fails in VM today. Frameworks, ORMs, and debug helpers rely on __get, __set, __call, and __toString magic dispatch when a member is missing.

003-MiniWebApp uses explicit properties on Router only — not blocking the north-star app — but plugin-style routing, lazy config objects, and (string) $obj casts need magic methods.

php-src reference

• Zend/zend_object_handlers.c — zend_std_read_property, zend_std_write_property, zend_std_get_method, __toString cast
• Zend/zend_execute.c — slow paths for undefined members

Repro (JIT — still failing)

<?php
class Box {
    private array $data = ['x' => 1];
    public function __get(string $name) {
        return $this->data[$name] ?? null;
    }
}
$o = new Box();
echo $o->x, "\n";

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && php bin/vm.php repro.php'    # expect: 1
./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && php bin/jit.php repro.php'   # JIT gap

Scope

• VM: lib/VM.php, lib/VM/ExceptionSupport.php — done
• JIT: Language: Magic methods __get/__set/__call/__toString — JIT lowering (phase 2 of #146) #4066
• AOT: user-class indirect dispatch — done for typical cases
• test/compliance/cases/language/magic_*.phpt

Done when

• Language: Magic methods __get/__set/__call/__toString — JIT lowering (phase 2 of #146) #4066 closed — JIT row yes in docs/capabilities-syntax.md
• ./script/ci-fast.sh --filter MagicMethod green across VM + JIT

Links

• JIT follow-up Language: Magic methods __get/__set/__call/__toString — JIT lowering (phase 2 of #146) #4066 · Language: __callStatic magic method — static call dispatch (Zend object handlers parity) #3273 (__callStatic) · Epic: Self-host critical path — compiler compiles itself (M3→M5) #1492

[PurHur]

Implementation-ready spec (parity architect, May 2026)

Status on master: VM does not dispatch magic methods — undeclared property read throws LogicException: Undefined property access in lib/VM/ObjectEntry.php.

Category

language

php-src reference

• Zend/zend_object_handlers.c — zend_std_get_static_property, zend_std_read_property, zend_std_write_property, zend_std_get_method (__call, __callStatic)
• Zend/zend_execute.c — ZEND_DO_FCALL / magic __invoke for string cast paths
• Zend/zend_compile.c — magic method name registration on zend_class_entry

Repro (VM vs Zend)

./script/docker-exec.sh bash -c '
echo Zend:; php -r "class M { function __get(string \$k): string { return \$k; } } echo (new M)->foo;"
echo VM:; php bin/vm.php -r "class M { function __get(string \$k): string { return \$k; } } echo (new M)->foo;"
'

Zend: foo
VM today: Fatal error: Uncaught LogicException: Undefined property access (ObjectEntry.php:48)

__call / __toString — add PHPTs when implementing; same slow-path hook in lib/VM.php after declared member miss.

Scope (this repo)

Area	Files
VM slow-path	lib/VM.php (TYPE_PROPERTY_FETCH, TYPE_PROPERTY_ASSIGN, TYPE_METHOD_CALL, echo/concat cast)
Class metadata	lib/VM/ClassEntry.php — store magic method func ids
Compiler	lib/Compiler.php — keep dynamic member ops; no compile-time rejection of __get/__set/…
JIT	lib/JIT.php — phase 1: Block::requiresVmLowering or deopt on magic sites
Tests	test/compliance/cases/magic_get.phpt, magic_set.phpt, magic_call.phpt, magic_tostring.phpt

Done when

• Repro __get prints foo under bin/vm.php (JIT optional with VM fallback)
• __set writes via hook; __call forwards unknown methods; __toString used in string context
• Row in docs/capabilities-syntax.md for magic methods (or note under Language: Magic methods (__get, __set, __call, __toString) #146)

Verification

./script/ci-fast.sh --filter magic_

Related

• Language: Class methods and property access in JIT #58 — declared properties (fast path before magic)
• Language: Visibility, constructors, and destructors #145 — visibility on magic methods (public only in v1 is acceptable)

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — starting this run

[PurHur]

claim: worker-lane-c — continuing PR #3229 with __callStatic dispatch (#3273 scope)

[PurHur]

claim: runforge-worker-lane-c — continuing PR #3229 this run (merge master + verify magic methods)

[PurHur]

Verification (runforge-worker-lane-c, this run):

Continued PR #3229: merged origin/master, resolved lib/VM.php conflict (magic method slow paths #146 + __debugInfo helpers #3259).

• Issue repro: php bin/vm.php -r '...' → get:foo, set:bar=1, call:baz, M (Zend parity)
• Targeted tests:

  ./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && vendor/bin/phpunit --filter "magic_get|magic_set|magic_call|magic_call_static|magic_to_string|magic_methods" test/compliance/VMTest.php'

  6/6 OK in Docker

PR #3229 merge-ready after master sync.

php-src ref: Zend/zend_object_handlers.c (zend_std_read_property, zend_std_write_property, zend_std_get_method, __callStatic)

[PurHur]

claim: cursor-agent-lane-c — continuing PR #3229 (merge master + verify magic methods)

[PurHur]

Lane C continuation — PR #3229 updated

Merged latest master into agent/issue-146-magic-methods and integrated magic slow paths with property hooks (#3145), lazy objects, and master string coercion (coerceVariableToString / valueToPrintString).

Verification (May 2026):

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && vendor/bin/phpunit test/compliance/VMTest.php --filter "language/magic_get|language/magic_set|language/magic_call|language/magic_to_string|language/magic_methods|language/magic_call_static"'
# OK (6 tests)

Notes:

• JIT still segfaults on magic property fetch (pre-existing on master without dispatch; documented VM-fallback scope in issue).
• magic_set.phpt adjusted: typed array $bag = [] default hits Language: non-literal default parameter values — class/global constants and null (Zend zend_compile.c parity) #3803 constant-fold gap; uses constructor init instead.
• Small compiler fix: tryFoldPropertyDefaultSlot passes property declared type instead of null to pseudo-Param.

php-src: Zend/zend_object_handlers.c — read/write/call/static_method/tostring hooks.

[PurHur]

claim: cursor-agent-lane-c — continuing PR #3229 (merge master + verify magic methods)