Create a stream from a resource

Question

I know that I can create a PHP stream from a filename (a real one, or an URL), by using the fopen function:

$stream = fopen('php://temp', 'r');

The resulting stream ($stream) is then a resource of type "stream", created from the URL php://temp.

But how I can create a stream like the above from a resource?

---

Why am I asking this?

I am working on a PSR-7 library and I implemented the PSR-7 StreamInterface with a Stream class. In order to create Stream instances, I decided to implement a StreamFactory too. Its interface, StreamFactoryInterface, is defined in the PSR-17 (HTTP Factories) proposal.

The StreamFactoryInterface defines a method named createStreamFromResource, which - conform to its official comments - should:

Create a new stream from an existing resource.

The stream MUST be readable and may be writable.

So the factory method receives a resource as argument. And, in its concrete implementation, a new Stream object is created - which receives a resource as argument, too.

Here is the problem:

For the sake of simplicity, let's say that the Stream class works only with a stream, e.g. with a resource of type "stream". If it receives a resource which is not of type "stream", it rejects it.

So, what if the resource argument of createStreamFromResource is not already a resource of type "stream"? How can I transform it into a stream, e.g. into a resource of type "stream", so that I can pass it further, to the call for creating a new Stream object with it? Is there a way (a PHP method, a function, or maybe a casting function) of achieving this task?

Notes:

• For clarity, I prepared a complete example (testStream.php) of how I create a stream, e.g. a Stream instance, in three ways: once directly, and twice using the stream factory.
• I also post the concrete implementation of the factory interface: the class StreamFactory with the method createStreamFromResource. A call to this method should be my fourth way of creating a stream in testStream.php.
• Furthermore I present the classes Stream and Response, so that you can directly test all, if you wish. The two classes are a very simplified version of my real code.
• In my codes I tagged the two questioning places with "@asking".

Thank you very much for your time and patience!

---

testStream.php (the testing page)

<?php

use Tests\Stream;
use Tests\Response;
use Tests\StreamFactory;

/*
 * ================================================
 * Option 1: Create a stream by a stream name
 * (like "php://temp") with read and write rights.
 * ================================================
 */
$stream = new Stream('php://temp', 'w+b');

$response = new Response($stream);
$response->getBody()->write(
        'Stream 1: Created directly.<br/><br/>'
);
echo $response->getBody();

/*
 * ================================================
 * Option 2: Create a stream by a stream name
 * (like "php://temp"), using a stream factory.
 * ================================================
 */
$streamFactory = new StreamFactory();
$stream = $streamFactory->createStreamFromFile('php://temp', 'w+b');

$response = new Response($stream);
$response->getBody()->write(
        'Stream 2: Created by a stream name, with a stream factory.<br/><br/>'
);
echo $response->getBody();

/*
 * ================================================
 * Option 3: Create a stream from a string, using a
 * stream factory.
 * ================================================
 */
$streamFactory = new StreamFactory();
$stream = $streamFactory->createStream(
        'Stream 3: Created from a string, with a stream factory.<br/><br/>'
);

$response = new Response($stream);
echo $response->getBody();

/*
 * ================================================
 * Option 4: Create a stream from an existing
 * resource, using a stream factory.
 * ================================================
 * 
 * @asking How can I create a stream by calling the
 * the factory method ServerFactory::createStreamFromResource
 * with a resource which is not of type "stream"?
 */
//...

The StreamFactory class (as I have it, so not simplified)

<?php

namespace Tests;

use Tests\Stream;
use Psr\Http\Message\StreamInterface;
use Psr\Http\Message\StreamFactoryInterface;

class StreamFactory implements StreamFactoryInterface {

    /**
     * Create a new stream from an existing resource.
     *
     * The stream MUST be readable and may be writable.
     *
     * @param resource $resource
     *
     * @return StreamInterface
     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
     */
    public function createStreamFromResource($resource) {
        /*
         * @asking What if $resource is not already a resource of type *"stream"*? 
         * How can I transform it into a stream, e.g. into a resource of type *"stream"*, 
         * so that I can pass it further, to the call for creating a new `Stream` object 
         * with it? Is there a way (a PHP method, a function, or maybe a casting function) 
         * of achieving this task?
         */
         //...

        return new Stream($resource, 'w+b');
    }

    /**
     * Create a new stream from a string.
     *
     * The stream SHOULD be created with a temporary resource.
     *
     * @param string $content
     *
     * @return StreamInterface
     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
     */
    public function createStream($content = '') {
        if (!isset($content) || !is_string($content)) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException('For creating a stream, a content string must be provided!');
        }

        $stream = $this->createStreamFromFile('php://temp', 'w+b');

        $stream->write($content);

        return $stream;
    }

    /**
     * Create a stream from an existing file.
     *
     * The file MUST be opened using the given mode, which may be any mode
     * supported by the `fopen` function.
     *
     * The `$filename` MAY be any string supported by `fopen()`.
     *
     * @param string $filename
     * @param string $mode
     *
     * @return StreamInterface
     */
    public function createStreamFromFile($filename, $mode = 'r') {
        return new Stream($filename, $mode);
    }

}

The Stream class (very simplified)

<?php

namespace Tests;

use Psr\Http\Message\StreamInterface;

class Stream implements StreamInterface {

    /**
     * Stream (resource).
     *
     * @var resource
     */
    private $stream;

    /**
     *
     * @param string|resource $stream Stream name, or resource.
     * @param string $accessMode (optional) Access mode.
     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
     */
    public function __construct($stream, string $accessMode = 'r') {
        if (
                !isset($stream) ||
                (!is_string($stream) && !is_resource($stream))
        ) {
            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(
                'The provided stream must be a filename, or an opened resource of type "stream"!'
            );
        }

        if (is_string($stream)) {
            $this->stream = fopen($stream, $accessMode);
        } elseif (is_resource($stream)) {
            if ('stream' !== get_resource_type($stream)) {
                throw new \InvalidArgumentException('The provided resource must be of type "stream"!');
            }

            $this->stream = $stream;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Write data to the stream.
     *
     * @param string $string The string that is to be written.
     * @return int Returns the number of bytes written to the stream.
     * @throws \RuntimeException on failure.
     */
    public function write($string) {
        return fwrite($this->stream, $string);
    }

    /**
     * Reads all data from the stream into a string, from the beginning to end.
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function __toString() {
        try {
            // Rewind the stream.
            fseek($this->stream, 0);

            // Get the stream contents as string.
            $contents = stream_get_contents($this->stream);

            return $contents;
        } catch (\RuntimeException $exc) {
            return '';
        }
    }

    public function close() {}
    public function detach() {}
    public function eof() {}
    public function getContents() {}
    public function getMetadata($key = null) {}
    public function getSize() {}
    public function isReadable() {}
    public function isSeekable() {}
    public function isWritable() {}
    public function read($length) {}
    public function rewind() {}
    public function seek($offset, $whence = SEEK_SET) {}
    public function tell() {}

}

The Response class (very simplified)

<?php

namespace Tests;

use Psr\Http\Message\StreamInterface;
use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;

class Response implements ResponseInterface {

    /**
     *
     * @param StreamInterface $body Message body.
     */
    public function __construct(StreamInterface $body) {
        $this->body = $body;
    }

    /**
     * Gets the body of the message.
     *
     * @return StreamInterface Returns the body as a stream.
     */
    public function getBody() {
        return $this->body;
    }

    public function getHeader($name) {}
    public function getHeaderLine($name) {}
    public function getHeaders() {}
    public function getProtocolVersion() {}
    public function hasHeader($name) {}
    public function withAddedHeader($name, $value) {}
    public function withBody(StreamInterface $body) {}
    public function withHeader($name, $value) {}
    public function withProtocolVersion($version) {}
    public function withoutHeader($name) {}
    public function getReasonPhrase() {}
    public function getStatusCode() {}
    public function withStatus($code, $reasonPhrase = '') {}

}

Answer 1

You can implement it any way you like but this method is essentially just a wrapper for a pre-generated resource.

In most cases, your Stream is probably going to take in a string and possibly a settings/options array and create a stream from the information (possibly with an fopen('http://...') somewhere along the way.

The createStreamFromResource($resource) would take in a pre-generated resource (e.g. the return resource value from an fopen rather than the data to execute the fopen):

class Stream implements StreamInterface {

    // ...

    public function __construct($url, $opt = null) {

        // ...

        if( is_resource( $url ) ) {

            /*
             * Check that the $resource is a valid resource
             * (e.g. an http request from an fopen call vs a mysql resource.)
             * or possibly a stream context that still needs to create a
             * request...
             */

            if( !$isValid ) {
                return false;
            }

            $this->resource = $resource;

        } else {

            // ...

            $this->resource = fopen($url, $modifiedOpt);

            // ...

        }

    }

    // ...

    /* createStreamFromResource would call Stream::fromResource($r)
     * or possibly Stream($resource) directly, your call.
     */
    static function fromResource($resource) {
        return new static($resource);
    }

}

Your factory method could be something as simple as:

public function createStreamFromResource($resource) {
    return Stream::fromResource($resource);
}