Hint iterator of strict type entities in PHPDoc

Question

Specifics - I am using PHPStorm 8 IDE. - Let's assume we have some class `Foo` which implements `\Iterator` interface and we know that all items inside that iterator will be of instance of class `Bar`. Question How to hint that `Foo` is iterable and contains only items of `Bar`? Of course, hint should keep information, that it's instance of `Foo` What I tried so far If we had an array of `Bar` instances, then that is an easy thing (it's described, for instance, in this question): `Bar[]`. Also, if the intention is to iterate through `Foo`, it still can be resolved (more or less) with: ``` //assume that $foo is instance of Foo //.. /* @var $object Bar */ foreach ($foo as $object) { } ``` However, there is one very important thing which is not achievable with in-place hinting: return type. If I'll have some method which should return `Foo`, I know only how to hint that `Foo`, but user of that function still won't be able to expose, that it's actually iterable and contains `Bar` instance…

Accepted Answer

If `Foo` implements `Iterator` then you can hint the return type on `Foo::current()`. PHPStorm will recognise that what `Foo::current()` returns is the value when you `foreach` over `Foo`.

For example:

```
<?php

class Foo implements Iterator
{
    // ...

/**
     * @return Bar
     */
    public function current()
    {
        // ...
    }

// ...
}

$foo = new Foo();

foreach ($foo as $object) {
    // PHPStorm will recognise $object is type Bar.
}
```

Hint iterator of strict type entities in PHPDoc

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