What considerations should be made when defining and passing complex data types like SortInfo to a SOAP client in PHP?

When defining and passing complex data types like SortInfo to a SOAP client in PHP, it is important to properly serialize and deserialize the data to ensure it can be transmitted correctly. One common approach is to use PHP's built-in serialization functions like serialize() and unserialize(). Additionally, you may need to define custom classes or structures to represent the complex data type in a way that can be easily understood by both the client and server.

// Define the SortInfo class with relevant properties
class SortInfo {
    public $field;
    public $direction;

    public function __construct($field, $direction) {
        $this->field = $field;
        $this->direction = $direction;
    }
}

// Serialize the SortInfo object before passing it to the SOAP client
$sortInfo = new SortInfo('name', 'asc');
$serializedSortInfo = serialize($sortInfo);

// Pass the serialized SortInfo object to the SOAP client
$soapClient->someMethod($serializedSortInfo);

// On the receiving end, unserialize the data to retrieve the SortInfo object
$receivedSortInfo = unserialize($serializedSortInfo);