Zend Framework: right way to retrieve data from database

Question

hello guys,

am working on a project with zend framework and i need your advise on the right way to fetch data from the database.

Am making use of Zend_Layout to load my template. The appropriate view is then loaded into the template.

On the template, there is supposed to be a section that displays data from the database (e.g Categories). Since i am using one template, the data will be displayed on every page requested irrespective of the controller or action called.

I know its not a good practise to fetch the data from the template and it wouldn't be a good idea to fetch the data from each action executed. I dont know if the right thing to do is to use helpers to fetch the data from the database, but wouldn't that go against the whole idea of MVC.

I need advise from you guys.

Answer 1

You haven't mentioned the option of using a Model class to fetch the data. That's the "M" in MVC. :-)

A Model class is one that has an interface the View can use to request specific fragments of data. Inside the Model class, it may use a mix of using Zend_Db_Table methods, and also custom SQL queries (executed directly through Zend_Db_Adapter's query() method). Whatever works to get the data.

The point is that a Model encapsulates all the logic needed to supply data in a format the View can use.

See also

• "An Introduction to Domain-Driven Design" at Microsoft.
• "Domain-Driven Design" by Eric Evans.