Help define referential integrity in Zend Framework 1.8.3 using Data Mapper model

Question

I am unable to define referential integrity relationship using Zend Frameworks table relationships as documented in the manual.

I have exhausted every possible configuration (so it seems), and now am facing the prospect of developing the application without being able to use cascading deletions, which is undesirable.

Can anyone see what is wrong or offer any suggestions?

My project is setup using the new ZF 1.8.3 recommended method, with datamappers, and I wonder if this is a reason why I am unable to replicate the behavior as described in the reference guide. Does anyone have any experience of this problem?

Here are the relevant parts of the classes:

application/models/UsersMapper.php

class Default_Model_UsersMapper {
    public function deleteUser($id, Default_Model_Users $users){

 $usersTable = new Default_Model_DbTable_Users();  
 $usersRowset = $usersTable->find( $id ); 
 $userToDelete = $usersRowset->current();  
 $userToDelete->delete();

}

application/models/DbTable/Users.php

class Default_Model_DbTable_Users extends Zend_Db_Table_Abstract
{
/**
 * @var string Name of the database table
 */
protected $_name = 'users';

/**
 * @desc  reference map 
 * 
 */
 protected $_referenceMap = array(
    'Comment' => array(
    'columns'   => array('user_id'),
     'refTableClass' =>  'Comment',
     'refColumns' =>  array('id'),
     'onDelete'  =>  self::CASCADE
    )
);

}

application/models/CommentMapper.php

… and the related table defined by the class:

Comment.php

class Default_Model_DbTable_Comment extends Zend_Db_Table_Abstract
{
/**
 * @var string Name of the database table
 */
protected $_name = 'comment';

    /**
 * @desc Defining referential integrity here since we are using MyISAM
 * Dependent tables are referred via the class name. 
 */
protected $_dependentTables = array('Users');
}

Answer 1

You want to delete a user and expect all comments that user made to be deleted as well?

Then your layout is wrong.

The 'users' table is the higher ranking table and therefore needs the

protected $_dependentTables = array('Comment');

Sidenote: should be users and comments since these are tables containing many users and comments. what if you want to create row objects? how will you name them?

And the 'comments' table needs the

protected $_referenceMap = array(
    'User' => array(
        'columns'       =>  array('id'),
        'refTableClass' =>  'User',
        'refColumns'    =>  array('user_id'),
        'onDelete'      =>  self::CASCADE
    )
);

And maybe you need to have InnoDB tables.

Answer 2

Ohhhh, I see it now. Your classes are named Default_Model_DbTable_Xxx, yet you refer to them as Xxx in your classes. Do the changes tharkun suggested and change your classnames to be valid:

e.g.

protected $_dependentTables = array('Comment');

and

'refTableClass' =>      'User',

becomes

protected $_dependentTables = array('Default_Model_DbTable_Comment');

and

'refTableClass' => 'Default_Model_DbTable_User'

Answer 3

Thanks for spotting the mistake in the class definitions.

My problem getting Zend Framework to provide a DRI layer has become narrowed and can now be summarized as such.

Using these class definitions I am able to delete the user but not the related comment through my local UserController "public/users/delete/userId/22"

    class Default_Model_DbTable_Comment extends Zend_Db_Table_Abstract
    {
        /**
         * @var string Name of the database table
         */
        protected $_name = 'comment';

        /**
         * @desc  reference map 
         * 
         * Rows in the comment table are to be automatically deleted if the row in the 
     * User table to which they refer is deleted
     *    
     */
     protected $_referenceMap = array(
        'User' => array(
         'columns'   => 'user_id',   // the foreign key(s)
      'refTableClass' => 'Default_Model_DbTable_Users',
         'refColumns' =>  'id',
         'onDelete'  =>  self::CASCADE,
        )
    );

}
class Default_Model_DbTable_Users extends Zend_Db_Table_Abstract
{
    /**
     * @var string Name of the database table
     */
    protected $_name = 'users';


     /**
     * @desc Defining referential integrity here since we are using MyISAM
     * Dependent tables are referred via the class name. 
     */
    protected $_dependentTables = 'Default_Model_DbTable_Comment';



}

Answer 4

This is kind of stupid... And what about class autoload?