Webiny\Component\Entity\Attribute\AbstractCollectionAttribute::normalizeValue PHP Method

    protected function normalizeValue($value)
    {
        if (is_null($value)) {
            return $value;
        }
        $entityClass = $this->getEntity();
        $entityCollectionClass = '\\Webiny\\Component\\Entity\\EntityCollection';
        // Validate Many2many attribute value
        if (!$this->isArray($value) && !$this->isArrayObject($value) && !$this->isInstanceOf($value, $entityCollectionClass)) {
            $exception = new ValidationException(ValidationException::DATA_TYPE, ['array, ArrayObject or EntityCollection', gettype($value)]);
            $exception->setAttribute($this->getName());
            throw $exception;
        }
        /* @var $entityAttribute One2ManyAttribute */
        $values = [];
        foreach ($value as $item) {
            $itemEntity = false;
            // $item can be an array of data, AbstractEntity or a simple mongo ID string
            if ($this->isInstanceOf($item, $entityClass)) {
                $itemEntity = $item;
            } elseif ($this->isArray($item) || $this->isArrayObject($item)) {
                $itemEntity = $entityClass::findById(isset($item['id']) ? $item['id'] : false);
            } elseif ($this->isString($item) && Entity::getInstance()->getDatabase()->isId($item)) {
                $itemEntity = $entityClass::findById($item);
            }
            // If instance was not found, create a new entity instance
            if (!$itemEntity) {
                $itemEntity = new $entityClass();
            }
            // If $item is an array - use it to populate the entity instance
            if ($this->isArray($item) || $this->isArrayObject($item)) {
                $itemEntity->populate($item);
            }
            $values[] = $itemEntity;
        }
        return new EntityCollection($this->getEntity(), $values);
    }