ORM Designer Blog

New feature for CakePHP users – DB Schema export

Today I would like to introduce you a new upcoming feature for CakePHP users. Nowadays ORM Designer can export php classes for your model objects. But when you want to use CakePHP migrations, you have to make the DB changes manually. This would change in the next ORM Designer release. Besides model classes ORM Designer knows how to generate CakeSchema (http://book.cakephp.org/view/1523/Schema-management-and-migrations) object class which defines a whole DB structure.

Usage of this new function is very simple. In your current ORM Designer model choose "Project object"

In Project property window there is a new item Schema with child export-file.  Select "export-file" property and click on the button with three dots and choose export file for schema file.

Now, if you export your model by using "Export to ORM" button, beside the model object files DB schema file will be also generated.

For our example DB schema file will look like this:

<?php
/* SVN FILE: $Id$ */
/* App schema generated by: ORM Designer (http://www.orm-designer.com) */

class AppSchema extends CakeSchema
{
  public $name = 'App';
  public $Contact =
    array (
      'ID' =>
        array (
          'type' => 'integer',
          'null' => 'true',
          'default' => 'NULL',
          'key' => 'primary',
          'length' => '4'
        ),
      'Name' =>
        array (
          'type' => 'string',
          'null' => 'true',
          'default' => 'NULL'
        ),
      'Age' =>
        array (
          'type' => 'integer',
          'null' => 'true',
          'default' => 'NULL'
        ),
      'indexes' =>
        array (
          'PRIMARY' =>
            array (
              'column' => 'ID'
            )
        )
    );
}

Note:
This feature will be available in 1.4.0.420 and later.

Support of CakePHP validators in ORM Designer

Today we finished beta support of CakePHP validators in ORM Designer. Thanks to Stefano Manfredini for giving us the idea and testing this new feature. You will find this new feature in upcoming ORM Designer 1.4.0 version build 417 and later.

Screenshot of testing model with entered validators:

Detailed screenshot to all supported validators in ORM Designer:

How to use it

If you want to add a validator to any field in your model, follow next instructions:

1) Select the field where you want to define new data validation.

2) In ORM Property window click on Validator item ->  "Add Item".

3) After clicking on "Add Item", the window with all supported validators appear. Choose the required validator and press OK.

4) After selecting validator from the list, you can add some additional parameters.  You can do this by selecting  added validator and entering value to the correspond property.

After you enter all required validators, you can "Export" them to base class.

And it's done. No more complicated and confused array definitions, simple design it in ORM Designer

List of currently supported validators include their parameters:

• alphaNumeric (link)
• between (link)
  • minimum
  • maximum
• blank (link)
• boolean (link)
• cc (link)
  • type
  • deep
  • regex
• comparison (link)
  • operator
  • value
• date (link)
  • format
• decimal (link)
  • decimal
• email (link)
  • validate-host
• equalTo (link)
  • value
• extension (link)
  • value
• ip (link)
• isUnique (link)
• minLength (link)
  • value
• maxLength (link)
  • value
• money (link)
  • position
• multiple (link)
  • in
  • min
  • max
• inList (link)
  • values
• numeric (link)
• notEmpty (link)
• phone (link)
  • reg-ex
  • country
• postal(link)
  • reg-ex
  • country
• range (link)
  • minimum
  • maximum
• ssn (link)
  • reg-ex
  • country
• url (link)
  • strict
• reg-ex (link)
  • regex
• own-function (link)
  • name
  • params

All validators have folllowing commont properties:

• name: Rule name used in definition array when field has multiple validators
• required: Require flag, for more information follow CakePHP documentation.
• allowEmpty: AllowEmpty flagfor more information follow CakePHP documentation.
• on: Validator type. Can be NULL/create/update. For more information follow CakePHP documentation.
• message: Error message for the rule.For more information follow CakePHP documentation.
• last: Flag used when one field have multiple validators. More information about last flag in CakePHP documentation .