Introduction to Doctrine ORM

What is ORM?

ORM stands for Object-Relational Mapping. It is a programming technique that maps data between a relational database and an object-oriented programming language such as Java or PHP. ORM helps developers to write code that interacts with the database using objects instead of writing SQL queries. It provides a high-level abstraction that simplifies data persistence and retrieval. By using ORM, developers can focus on the business logic of the application instead of worrying about the underlying database technology.

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Why use Doctrine ORM?

Doctrine ORM is a powerful tool for web developers. Its main goal is to simplify database interactions using an object-oriented approach. With it, you can minimize the amount of SQL code you have to write while simultaneously improving the maintainability of your codebase. Doctrine ORM provides a variety of useful features for managing application data, such as advanced query building and caching support. By using it, you can focus on developing your web application logic without worrying about the underlying database implementation.

Installing Doctrine ORM

Installing Doctrine ORM can be done in several ways, but the recommended one is using Composer. All you need to do is add the Doctrine ORM package to your project's dependencies and run the install command. Once installed, you can start configuring and using it in your project.

Defining Entities

In Doctrine ORM, entities are defined as plain old PHP objects (POPOs) that represent a single row in a database table. To define an entity, you must create a PHP class and annotate it with the necessary metadata that tells Doctrine how to map it to a database table. Entities typically have properties that correspond to the columns in the table and methods that perform various actions on those properties.

Basic CRUD Operations with Doctrine ORM

In Doctrine ORM, basic CRUD operations involve creating, reading, updating, and deleting rows in a database table. These operations can be easily performed using Doctrine's Entity Manager, which interacts with Entity classes that map to database tables. To create a new row in the database, simply create a new instance of the corresponding Entity class and persist it using the Entity Manager's persist() method. To read rows from the database, use the Entity Manager's find() method to retrieve an Entity object by its primary key. To update an existing row, simply modify the properties of its corresponding Entity object and call the Entity Manager's flush() method to persist the changes to the database. Finally, to delete a row, use the Entity Manager's remove() method to mark it for deletion and then call the flush() method to actually delete it from the database.