---
layout: default
title: Instantiation using named constructors
redirect_from: /instantiation/
---

# Instantiation

The library is composed of two main classes:

- `League\Csv\Reader` to read data from a CSV
- `League\Csv\Writer` to write new data into a CSV

Both classes extend the `League\Csv\AbstractCsv` class and as such share methods for instantiation.

## Csv and Macintosh

If your CSV document was created or is read on a Macintosh computer, add the following lines before using the library to help [PHP detect line ending in Mac OS X](http://php.net/manual/en/function.fgetcsv.php#refsect1-function.fgetcsv-returnvalues).

```php
if (!ini_get("auto_detect_line_endings")) {
    ini_set("auto_detect_line_endings", '1');
}

//the rest of the code continues here...
```

## Instantiating a new CSV object

Because CSVs come in different forms we used named constructors to offer several ways to instantiate the library objects.

### AbstractCsv::createFromPath

This named constructor will create a new object *à la* `fopen`.

```php
public static AbstractCsv::createFromPath(
    mixed $path,
    string $open_mode = 'r+'
): AbstractCsv
```

- The `$path` parameter can be:
  - a `SplFileInfo` object, the string path will be fetch from the object public methods.
  - an object implementing the `__toString` method the path will be the object string representation.
  - a string.

<p class="message-warning"><strong>Warning:</strong> The method throws an <code>InvalidArgumentException</code> if a <code>SplTempFileObject</code> is given as no path can be retrieve from such object.</p>
* The `$open_mode` parameter which defaults to `r+` if none is supplied.

The resulting string and `$open_mode` parameters are used to lazy load internally a `SplFileObject` object.

```php
use League\Csv\Reader;
use League\Csv\Writer;

$reader = Reader::createFromPath('/path/to/your/csv/file.csv', 'r');
//the $reader object will use the 'r+' open mode as no `open_mode` parameter was supplied.
$writer = Writer::createFromPath(new SplFileObject('/path/to/your/csv/file.csv', 'a+'), 'w');
//the $writer object open mode will be 'w'!!
```

### AbstractCsv::createFromFileObject

Instantiate a new Csv object from a `SplFileObject`.

```php
public static AbstractCsv::createFromFileObject(SplFileObject $obj): AbstractCsv
```

This method accepts only one single parameter, a `SplFileObject` object.

```php
use League\Csv\Reader;
use League\Csv\Writer;

$reader = Reader::createFromFileObject(new SplFileObject('/path/to/your/csv/file.csv'));
$writer = Writer::createFromFileObject(new SplTempFileObject());
```

### AbstractCsv::createFromString

This named constructor will create a new object from a given string.

```php
public static AbstractCsv::createFromString(mixed $str): AbstractCsv
```

This method accepts only one single parameter, an object implementing the `__toString` method or a string.

```php
use League\Csv\Reader;
use League\Csv\Writer;

$reader = Reader::createFromString('john,doe,john.doe@example.com');
$writer = Writer::createFromString('john,doe,john.doe@example.com');
```

### AbstractCsv::createFromStream

<p class="message-notice">New since version <code>8.2.0</code></p>

This named constructor will create a new object from a stream resource.

```php
public static AbstractCsv::createFromStream(resource $stream): AbstractCsv
```

This method accepts only one single parameter, a resource stream. The resource stream <strong>MUST</strong> be seekable otherwise a `InvalidArgumentException` will be thrown.

```php
use League\Csv\Reader;
use League\Csv\Writer;

$reader = Reader::createFromStream(fopen('/path/to/the/file.csv', 'r+'));
$writer = Writer::createFromStream(fopen('php://temp', 'r+'));
```

## Switching from one class to the other

At any given time you can switch or create a new `League\Csv\Writer` or a new `League\Csv\Reader` from the current object. To do so, you can use the following methods.

- the `newReader` to create a new `League\Csv\Reader` object;
- the `newWriter` to create a new `League\Csv\Writer` object;

Both methods accept an optional `$open_mode` parameter.

```php
public AbstractCsv::newReader(string $open_mode = 'r+'): Reader
public AbstractCsv::newWriter(string $open_mode = 'r+'): Writer
```

- When not explicitly set, the `$open_mode` default value is `r+` for both methods.
- If the initial object `$open_mode` parameter was not taken into account any new CSV object created with these methods won't take into account the given `$open_mode`.

```php
$reader = $writer->newReader('r+');
$newWriter = $reader->newWriter('a');
$anotherWriter = $newWriter->newWriter('r+');
```

<p class="message-warning"><strong>Warning:</strong> be careful the <code>$newWriter</code> and <code>$anotherWriter</code> object are not the same as the <code>$writer</code> object!</p>