PHPDoc type hinting for array of objects?

In the PhpStorm IDE from JetBrains, you can use /** @var SomeObj[] */, e.g.:

/**
 * @return SomeObj[]
 */
function getSomeObjects() {...}

The phpdoc documentation recommends this method:

specified containing a single type, the Type definition informs the reader of the type of each array element. Only one Type is then expected as element for a given array.

Example: @return int[]

Use:

/* @var $objs Test[] */
foreach ($objs as $obj) {
    // Typehinting will occur after typing $obj->
}

when typehinting inline variables, and

class A {
    /** @var Test[] */
    private $items;
}

for class properties.

Previous answer from '09 when PHPDoc (and IDEs like Zend Studio and Netbeans) didn't have that option:

The best you can do is say,

foreach ($Objs as $Obj)
{
    /* @var $Obj Test */
    // You should be able to get hinting after the preceding line if you type $Obj->
}

I do that a lot in Zend Studio. Don't know about other editors, but it ought to work.

Netbeans hints:

You get code completion on $users[0]-> and for $this-> for an array of User classes.

/**
 * @var User[]
 */
var $users = array();

You also can see the type of the array in a list of class members when you do completion of $this->...

To specify a variable is an array of objects:

$needles = getAllNeedles();
/* @var $needles Needle[] */
$needles[1]->...                        //codehinting works

This works in Netbeans 7.2 (I'm using it)

Works also with:

$needles = getAllNeedles();
/* @var $needles Needle[] */
foreach ($needles as $needle) {
    $needle->...                        //codehinting works
}

Therefore use of declaration inside the foreach is not necessary.

PSR-5: PHPDoc proposes a form of Generics-style notation.

Syntax

Type[]
Type<Type>
Type<Type[, Type]...>
Type<Type[|Type]...>

Values in a Collection MAY even be another array and even another Collection.

Type<Type<Type>>
Type<Type<Type[, Type]...>>
Type<Type<Type[|Type]...>>

Examples

<?php

$x = [new Name()];
/* @var $x Name[] */

$y = new Collection([new Name()]);
/* @var $y Collection<Name> */

$a = new Collection(); 
$a[] = new Model_User(); 
$a->resetChanges(); 
$a[0]->name = "George"; 
$a->echoChanges();
/* @var $a Collection<Model_User> */

Note: If you are expecting an IDE to do code assist then it's another question about if the IDE supports PHPDoc Generic-style collections notation.

From my answer to this question.