Language: (array) object cast — TYPE_CAST_ARRAY VM opcode (Zend cast_object parity) #3328

Category

language | runtime

Problem

Zend PHP allows casting objects to arrays via (array) $obj, producing public property keys (with \0*\0 / \0Class\0 prefixes for protected/private per scope rules).

This compiler lowers (array) casts to OpCode::TYPE_CAST_ARRAY (lib/Compiler.php) but the VM handler is missing — runtime aborts with LogicException: VM OpCode Not Implemented: TYPE_CAST_ARRAY.

php-src reference

• Zend/zend_operators.c — cast_object, zend_std_cast_object_tostring
• Zend/zend_types.h — IS_ARRAY cast from object

Repro (today)

<?php
class C {
    public int $x = 1;
    private int $secret = 2;
}
var_export((array) new C());
echo "\n";

./script/docker-exec.sh -- bash -lc 'source script/php-env.sh && php bin/vm.php repro.php'

Zend PHP: array('x'=>1, "\0C\0secret"=>2, …) (scope-dependent)
This compiler: fatal TYPE_CAST_ARRAY not implemented

Scope

• Implement TYPE_CAST_ARRAY in lib/VM.php (public properties minimum; protected/private prefixes optional follow-up)
• Mirror in JIT/AOT if cast sites are compiled (or document VM-only initially)
• test/compliance/cases/language/cast_array_object.phpt

Done when

• (array) new C() on a class with public properties returns expected key/value map
• (array) on array is identity / copy per Zend
• ./script/ci-fast.sh --filter cast_array_object green

Links

• Related: get_object_vars() (Stdlib: get_class_methods() — method list for class/object (ext/standard parity) #3118 partial), __debugInfo() (Language: __debugInfo() magic method — var_dump/print_r redaction (Zend object handlers parity) #3259 closed — debug path only)
• Epic: Self-host critical path — compiler compiles itself (M3→M5) #1492 self-host