Hydration

Hydration turns some input into a typed Data instance. Every property is resolved from the input, cast to the declared type where the library knows how, and passed to the constructor.

`from()` — the universal entrypoint

Data::from() accepts many input shapes and dispatches to the right strategy:

ProductData::from(['title' => 'Widget', 'reviews' => 5, 'rating' => 4.5]); // array
ProductData::from($eloquentModel);   // Eloquent model (Laravel)
ProductData::from($otherDataObject); // another Data instance
ProductData::from($stdClass);        // stdClass
ProductData::from('{"title":"…"}');  // JSON string
ProductData::from($anyObject);       // arbitrary object (by public property)

Array input: named or positional

Array keys are matched to constructor parameter names first, then fall back to positional index:

// named
ProductData::from(['title' => 'Widget', 'reviews' => 5, 'rating' => 4.5]);

// positional
ProductData::from(['Widget', 5, 4.5]);

`make()` — explicit named arguments

make() is a thin wrapper that constructs from named arguments while still running the same casting pipeline (so nested arrays become nested Data, enums are hydrated, etc.):

ProductData::make(
    title: 'Widget',
    reviews: 5,
    rating: 4.5,
);

make() gives you full IDE autocomplete and static analysis on the argument list.

Other constructors

Method	Input
`from(mixed $data)`	Anything below — auto-detected
`fromArray(array $data)`	An associative or positional array
`fromData(Data $data)`	Another Data instance (re-cast to this type)
`fromModel(mixed $model)`	An Eloquent model (Laravel)
`fromClass(object $object)`	Any object, read by public properties
`make(mixed ...$args)`	Named/positional arguments

For Eloquent-specific patterns (WhenLoaded, WhenCounted, …), see Laravel Integration.

Casting during hydration

from()/make() apply these conversions automatically based on the property type:

#[WithCast] / #[WithCastAndTransformer] → a local cast runs first and takes precedence over the built-ins below. See Casts & Transformers.
Nested Data → recursively hydrated.
BackedEnum → a scalar ('active') becomes the matching case; an enum instance passes through unchanged.
array / Collection with #[ArrayOf(Child::class)] → each element is hydrated to Child. See Nested & Collections.
Carbon / CarbonImmutable → parsed via Carbon::parse() (when Carbon is installed).
Lazy values → deferred until serialization (see Optional, Lazy & Computed).
Laravel #[WhenLoaded] / #[WhenCounted] / #[WhenAppended] / #[When] → when the input is an Eloquent model, gate the property (and optional using transform) before casting. See Laravel Integration.

Custom casts never receive null — a null on a nullable/optional property stays null (use a magic method or default if you need to invent a value).

Missing and null values

A missing value falls back to the constructor default when one exists.
A null value for a nullable property stays null.
A missing value for a property typed Sometimes|T is treated as absent and omitted from toArray() — see Sometimes.
A null value for a non-nullable, non-optional property throws a RuntimeException.

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