Documentation

Configuration

Basic config

protected static $_has_many = array('comments');

This example, if specified in Model_Article, enables fetching of an array of Model_Comment objects which have the field article_id matching the primary key of a given Article instance through the property comments.

Fully configured

protected static $_has_many = array('comments' => array(
	'model_to' => 'Model_Fancy_Comment',
	'key_from' => 'article_id',
	'key_to' => 'parent_article_id',
	'cascade_save' => true,
	'cascade_delete' => false,
	// there are some more options for specific relation types
));

In the basic example, Orm automatically assumes the model name and field mapping. This example explicitly specifies the class name of the target model, the fields used to relate them, and whether actions performed on the current object should be cascaded to the target. It will return an array of Model_Fancy_Comment object where the comment's parent_article_id field corresponds to the current object's article_id. When saving an object the operation is also performed on its loaded relations, deleting isn't cascaded by default but can be if you switch this on.

There is a limitation when fetching relations and limiting their output: you can't use complex where statements on the main object. That are queries using parenthesis for nesting conditions using where_open(). Normal (non-nested) where queries can be applied without problems.
Technically it works like this: to limit the output the query on the base model's table is actually a subquery with a limit set on it. Any of those nested where conditions are applied on the result of the subquery and further joined relations.

Configuration Options

All of the configurations are optional when using the most common naming conventions.

Usage

The Orm allows for both eager and lazy-loading of relationships. Eager loading means that some (or all) relations are fetched in the original query. Lazy loading means that the relations aren't fetched until you request them.

// eager loading, using joins:
$post = Model_Post::find('all', array('related' => array('comments')));
// or
$post = Model_Post::query()->related('comments')->get();
// $post->comments is available without any further querying after this

// or use lazy loading, it won't use joins but query a relation once requested
// first get a "post", 1 query without join
$post = Model_Post::find('first');
// now request the comments (not yet loaded), which will do another query without join automatically
$comments = $post->comments;

// alternatively, you can use get(), which allows additional conditions:
$comments = $post->get('comments', array('where' => array(array('field', '=', $value))));

Usage with where/order_by conditions

You can also additional conditions when fetching with the Orm. Note though that would also mean the data retrieved will only be valid to the conditions with which you fetched them.
Additional conditions are only possible with eager loading, though with lazy loading any default conditions (see config table above) will be used of course.

// using array querying
$post = Model_Post::find('first', array(
	'related' => array(
		'articles' => array(
			'order_by' => array('id' => 'desc'),
			'where' => array(
				array('publish_date', '>', time()),
				array('published', '=', 1),
			),
		),
	),
));

// using method chaining
$post = Model_Post::query()->related('articles', array(
	'order_by' => array('id' => 'desc'),
	'where' => array(
		array('publish_date', '>', time()),
		array('published', 1), // when using '=' it can be omitted
	),
)->get_one();

// but the same can also be done by prefixing the relation name to the column:
$post = Model_Post::query()->related('articles')
	->order_by('articles.id', 'desc')
	->where('articles.publish_date', '>', time())
	->where('articles.published', 1)
	->get_one();

Usage with nested relationships

It is also possible to fetch the relations of relations to an unlimited depth (though you might want to be careful creating queries that require too many joins). All these can also be combined with where and order_by conditions, some are exemplified below.

Note that the order matters here, if you want to fetch the relations of a relation you must load the "parent" relation before its relation. Otherwise an exception will be thrown.

// using array querying
$post = Model_Post::find('first', array(
	'related' => array(
		'articles' => array(
			'related' => array(
				'user' => array(
					'related' => array('profile'),
					'where' => array('active', 1),
				),
			),
			'order_by' => array(
				'published' => 'desc',
			),
		),
	),
));

// using only method chaining
$post = Model_Post::query()
	->related('articles')
	->related('articles.user')
	->related('articles.user.profile')
	->where('articles.user.active', '=', 1)
	->order_by('articles.published', 'desc')
	->get_one();

// or combine array & method chaining
$post = Model_Post::query()
	->related('articles', array(
		'related' => array('user' => array(
			'where' => array('active' => 1),
		)),
		'order_by' => array('published', 'desc'),
	))
	->related('articles.user.profile')
	->get_one();

Join types

By default the Orm will join relations using a 'left' join. To specify a different join you utilize the 'join_type' condition:

$post = Model_Post::find('first', array(
    'related' => array(
        'articles' => array(
            'join_type' => 'inner',
            'where' => array(
                array('publish_date', '>', DB::expr(time())),
                array('published', '=', DB::expr(1)),
            ),
            'order_by' => array('id' => 'desc'),
        ),
    ),
));
				

Since 'where' clauses are executed before the JOIN is executed, you can not get a full OUTER JOIN results when you include a 'where' clause, it will act like a pre-join filter. The solution is to define the filter on the JOIN itself:

$post = Model_Post::find('all', array(
    'related' => array(
        'articles' => array(
            'join_type' => 'left outer',
            'join_on' => array(
                array('publish_date', '>', DB::expr(time())),
                array('published', '=', DB::expr(1)),
            ),
            'order_by' => array('id' => 'desc'),
        ),
    ),
));
				

This will make the selection criteria part of the ON clause, instead of the WHERE clause.

Note that if you want to pass a literal value to a join, you will have to encapsulate it in a DB::expr() to avoid it being escaped as a column name.

Relation types

The Orm supports the following relationship types natively:

• Belongs To
  Has the primary key of the relation kept in its table, belongs to 1 related object.
• Has One
  Has its primary key saved in one other row of another table (which belongs to this), has 1 related object.
• Has Many
  Has its primary key saved in many other rows of another table (which belong to this one), has many related objects.
• Many to Many
  Have their primary keys saved in a table in between which keeps pairs of primary keys from both tables. Have and belong to many objects.