Search code examples
phpdatabase-designpropel

Are incomplete key references in Propel useful?


I am using Propel to develop a system in which users can develop their own schemas, so am looking at some "edge cases". I have come across a schema that I think Propel should disallow, but it does seem to build. Can anyone suggest a use case for this?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<database name="test" defaultIdMethod="native">
    <table name="test_event">
        <column name="id" type="integer" required="true" primaryKey="true" autoIncrement="true" />
        <column name="name" type="varchar" size="50" required="true" />
        <column name="description" type="varchar" size="250" />
        <column name="location" type="varchar" size="250" />
        <column name="nearest_city" type="varchar" size="100" />
        <column name="organiser_id" type="integer" required="true" />
        <!-- This FK is incomplete -->
        <foreign-key foreignTable="test_organiser">
            <reference local="organiser_id" foreign="id" />
        </foreign-key>
    </table>

    <table name="test_organiser">
        <!-- Has composite PK -->
        <column name="id" type="integer" required="true" primaryKey="true" autoIncrement="true" />
        <column name="secondary" type="integer" required="true" primaryKey="true" />
        <column name="name" type="varchar" size="50" required="true" />     
        <column name="email" type="varchar" size="100" />
    </table>
</database>

As you can see, the event table has an incomplete foreign reference to the organiser table. I'd have thought Propel would have detected that and kicked it out at build time - but apparently not! I can't see why this would be useful - the setTestOrganiser and getTestOrganiser methods in BaseTestEvent only refer to one part of the composite PK (because, of course, the event side is only aware of the organiser_id part).

Propel 1.6.1, PHP 5.2.17.


Solution

  • No they're not useful. Propel does just not have a check for this use case at the moment. I've created a issue for it so you won't stumble over it again when we've implemented it.