ZF2-ExtendedFramework

Just a module I use that has some extra functionality built on top of ZendFramework 2. Below you will find details about the goals and designs of the library if you want to contribute (ideas, code, etc).

Goals

Build a system that is able to map the data from the database to certain objects. The idea is to make something similar to an ORM from a mapping point of view but avoid all the configuration hassle. All the links will be done based on the SQL query.

Design

TableGateway

• handles 1 database table

• processes select objects (usually the action is requested by a ResultProcessor when calling the getResultSet() method)

• attaches listeners to events from the data mappers and result processors

ResultProcessor

• is assigned to only 1 TableGateway and 1 method from a TableGateway

• it is returned by the TableGateway from methods that interact with the database

• can return either a paginator, a result set or any other type of result based on the database query

• the results of the methods may be cached

• contains an EventManager object that can be used by different objects (like Paginator and TableGateway) to listen in different events that the interface offers

Database Mapper

• is assigned to only 1 TableGateway

• called by the ResultProcessor via the TableGateway if the data needs to be mapped to objects

• uses a GatewayTracker to collect all the child data mappers that will be used when mapping the data from the database

GatewayTracker

• a collection that keeps track of all the TableGateway objects

• used by the Database Mapper to determine which mapper objects are available for mapping

Design issues

Issue 1: What happens if the ResultSet needs a more complicated processing? Do we make a processor for each method that interacts with the database?

Solution 1: We use an event called ResultProcessorInterface::EVENT_PROCESS_ROW which is handled in the gateway method

Issue 2: How can we return the result from the ResultProcessor without calling methods from the TableGateway and ResultProcessor using the cache? (except for the ones that return the cache object)

Solution 1: Pending...

Issue 3: When caching the response of a method from the TableGateway the cache stores the ResultProcessor and not the result from the ResultProcessor method call. The cache should cascade to the ResultProcessor even though it's called from the TableGateway.

Solution 1: Pending...

Issue 4: What would happen with the map given to the getResultSet() method if automatic mapping on join would be implemented?

Solution 1: Pending...

Issue 5: If the mappers use the same entity class then the mappers cannot find a specific mapper using the class name of the object that needs to have it's data extracted.

Solution 1: Add a property in the entities that holds the mapper instance. The problem with this is that this property will get exported (can be fixed with a deny list) and it also adds a dependency for the entity (faster method).

Solution 2: Add a property in the mapper that will store all the populated objects. This issue with this is that we will have to search through all of the entries (slower method).