Custom Alice Faker Function

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The Faker name() function gives us a poor genus name. Yea, I know - this is just fake data - but it's so wrong that it fails at its one job: to give us some somewhat realistic data to make development easy.

Here's our goal: use a new <genus()> function in Alice and have this return the name of a random ocean-bound genus:

            
            7 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/fixtures.yml
        
            AppBundle\Entity\Genus:
        
                genus_{1..10}:
        
                    name: <genus()>
        
                                                    ... lines 4 - 7

This shouldn't work yet - but try it to see the error:

./bin/console doctrine:fixtures:load

Unknown formatter "genus"

Faker calls these functions "formatters". Can we create our own formatter? Absolutely.

Adding a Custom Formatter (Function)

In LoadFixtures, break the load() call onto multiple lines to keep things short and civilized. Now, add a third argument - it's sort of an "options" array. Give it a key called providers - these will be additional objects that provide formatter functions - and set it to an array with $this:

            
            46 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/LoadFixtures.php
        
                                                    ... lines 1 - 9
                            
            class LoadFixtures implements FixtureInterface
        
            {
        
                public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
        
                {
        
                    $objects = Fixtures::load(
        
                        __DIR__.'/fixtures.yml',
        
                        $manager,
        
                        [
        
                            'providers' => [$this]
        
                        ]
        
                    );
        
                }
        
                                                    ... lines 22 - 45
                            
            }

And we're nearly done! To add a new genus formatter, add public function genus(). I've already prepared a lovely list of some fantastic genuses that live in the ocean:

            
            46 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/LoadFixtures.php
        
                                                    ... lines 1 - 9
                            
            class LoadFixtures implements FixtureInterface
        
            {
        
                                                    ... lines 12 - 22
                            
                public function genus()
        
                {
        
                    $genera = [
        
                        'Octopus',
        
                        'Balaena',
        
                        'Orcinus',
        
                        'Hippocampus',
        
                        'Asterias',
        
                        'Amphiprion',
        
                        'Carcharodon',
        
                        'Aurelia',
        
                        'Cucumaria',
        
                        'Balistoides',
        
                        'Paralithodes',
        
                        'Chelonia',
        
                        'Trichechus',
        
                        'Eumetopias'
        
                    ];
        
                                                    ... lines 41 - 44
                            
                }
        
            }

Finish this with $key = array_rand($genera) and then return $genera[$key]:

            
            46 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/LoadFixtures.php
        
                                                    ... lines 1 - 9
                            
            class LoadFixtures implements FixtureInterface
        
            {
        
                                                    ... lines 12 - 22
                            
                public function genus()
        
                {
        
                                                    ... lines 25 - 41
                            
                    $key = array_rand($genera);
        
                    return $genera[$key];
        
                }
        
            }

Let's give it a try:

./bin/console doctrine:fixtures:load

No errors! Refresh! Ah, so much better.

New Random Boolean Column

Now, hold on, we have a new requirement: we need the ability to have published and unpublished genuses - for those times when we create a new genus, but we're still trying to think of a fun fact before it shows up on the site. With our beautiful migration and fixtures systems, this will be a breeze.

First, open Genus and add a new private property - call it $isPublished. Next, use the "Code"->"Generate" shortcut - or Ctrl+Enter - to generate the annotations:

            
            95 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/Entity/Genus.php
        
                                                    ... lines 1 - 10
                            
            class Genus
        
            {
        
                                                    ... lines 13 - 39
                            
                /**
        
                 * @ORM\Column(type="boolean")
        
                 */
        
                private $isPublished = true;
        
                                                    ... lines 44 - 89
                            
                public function setIsPublished($isPublished)
        
                {
        
                    $this->isPublished = $isPublished;
        
                }
        
            }

Hey that was cool! Because the property started with is, PhpStorm correctly guessed that this is a boolean column. Go team!

At the bottom, generate just the setter function. We can add a getter function later... if we need one.

We need to update the fixtures. But first, find the command line and generate the migration:

./bin/console doctrine:migrations:diff

Be a responsible dev and make sure the migration looks right:

            
            35 lines
            
            app/DoctrineMigrations/Version20160207083347.php
        
                                                    ... lines 1 - 10
                            
            class Version20160207083347 extends AbstractMigration
        
            {
        
                /**
        
                 * @param Schema $schema
        
                 */
        
                public function up(Schema $schema)
        
                {
        
                    // this up() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
        
                    $this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');
        
                    $this->addSql('ALTER TABLE genus ADD is_published TINYINT(1) NOT NULL');
        
                }
        
                /**
        
                 * @param Schema $schema
        
                 */
        
                public function down(Schema $schema)
        
                {
        
                    // this down() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
        
                    $this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');
        
                    $this->addSql('ALTER TABLE genus DROP is_published');
        
                }
        
            }

Actually, it looks perfect. Run it:

./bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate

Last step: we want to have a few unpublished genuses in the random data set. Open the Faker documentation and search for "boolean". Perfect! There's a built-in boolean() function and we can control the $chanceOfGettingTrue. In the fixtures file, add isPublished and set that to boolean(75) - so that most genuses are published:

            
            8 lines
            
            src/AppBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/fixtures.yml
        
            AppBundle\Entity\Genus:
        
                genus_{1..10}:
        
                                                    ... lines 3 - 6
                            
                    isPublished: <boolean(75)>

Re-run the fixtures!

./bin/console doctrine:fixtures:load

Hey, no errors! Now, to only show the published genuses on the list page, we need a custom query.

What PHP libraries does this tutorial use?

// composer.json
{
    "require": {
        "php": ">=5.5.9",
        "symfony/symfony": "3.1.*", // v3.1.4
        "doctrine/orm": "^2.5", // v2.7.2
        "doctrine/doctrine-bundle": "^1.6", // 1.6.4
        "doctrine/doctrine-cache-bundle": "^1.2", // 1.3.0
        "symfony/swiftmailer-bundle": "^2.3", // v2.3.11
        "symfony/monolog-bundle": "^2.8", // 2.11.1
        "symfony/polyfill-apcu": "^1.0", // v1.2.0
        "sensio/distribution-bundle": "^5.0", // v5.0.22
        "sensio/framework-extra-bundle": "^3.0.2", // v3.0.16
        "incenteev/composer-parameter-handler": "^2.0", // v2.1.2
        "composer/package-versions-deprecated": "^1.11", // 1.11.99
        "knplabs/knp-markdown-bundle": "^1.4", // 1.4.2
        "doctrine/doctrine-migrations-bundle": "^1.1" // 1.1.1
    },
    "require-dev": {
        "sensio/generator-bundle": "^3.0", // v3.0.7
        "symfony/phpunit-bridge": "^3.0", // v3.1.3
        "nelmio/alice": "^2.1", // 2.1.4
        "doctrine/doctrine-fixtures-bundle": "^2.3" // 2.3.0
    }
}

Edit on GitHub

TRACK

Symfony 3 >

COURSE

Symfony 3: Doctrine & the Database

Custom Alice Faker Function

Keep on Learning!

Adding a Custom Formatter (Function)

New Random Boolean Column

Leave a comment!

What PHP libraries does this tutorial use?

	AppBundle\Entity\Genus:
	genus_{1..10}:
	name: <genus()>
	... lines 4 - 7

	... lines 1 - 9
	class LoadFixtures implements FixtureInterface
	{
	public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
	{
	$objects = Fixtures::load(
	__DIR__.'/fixtures.yml',
	$manager,
	[
	'providers' => [$this]
	]
	);
	}
	... lines 22 - 45
	}

	... lines 1 - 9
	class LoadFixtures implements FixtureInterface
	{
	... lines 12 - 22
	public function genus()
	{
	$genera = [
	'Octopus',
	'Balaena',
	'Orcinus',
	'Hippocampus',
	'Asterias',
	'Amphiprion',
	'Carcharodon',
	'Aurelia',
	'Cucumaria',
	'Balistoides',
	'Paralithodes',
	'Chelonia',
	'Trichechus',
	'Eumetopias'
	];
	... lines 41 - 44
	}
	}

	... lines 1 - 10
	class Genus
	{
	... lines 13 - 39
	/**
	* @ORM\Column(type="boolean")
	*/
	private $isPublished = true;
	... lines 44 - 89
	public function setIsPublished($isPublished)
	{
	$this->isPublished = $isPublished;
	}
	}

	... lines 1 - 10
	class Version20160207083347 extends AbstractMigration
	{
	/**
	* @param Schema $schema
	*/
	public function up(Schema $schema)
	{
	// this up() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
	$this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');

	$this->addSql('ALTER TABLE genus ADD is_published TINYINT(1) NOT NULL');
	}

	/**
	* @param Schema $schema
	*/
	public function down(Schema $schema)
	{
	// this down() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
	$this->abortIf($this->connection->getDatabasePlatform()->getName() != 'mysql', 'Migration can only be executed safely on \'mysql\'.');

	$this->addSql('ALTER TABLE genus DROP is_published');
	}
	}

	AppBundle\Entity\Genus:
	genus_{1..10}:
	... lines 3 - 6
	isPublished: <boolean(75)>