1. Marc Ingram Entity Field Query API Examiner.com http://drupal.org/user/77320

2. The need for a query builder

Where we are now

Drupal 6 has no concept of a query builder

http://buytaert.net/starting-to-work-on-drupal-7Feb 2008

Every query must be hand crafted for a specific database 3. View offers the ability to create custom queries on the fly

View 3 allows for plugable backends

4. Views based queries are not always optimal D7 changes this 5. Views in core

Why for developers?

No GUI

6. Lacks the structured tpl structure that views provides 7. Need to be able to write code Why is this possible?

Fields in core

8. Plugable storage 9. Fields in Core

What does fields in core mean?

Bundles/Entities

This is the basic building block

Taxonomy terms, Taxonomy vocabularies, Users, Nodes, Files

You can build your own Fields

Allows you define fields that can be used by entities

Instances

Associates fields with given entities and bundles

10. Entities and bundles

hook_entity_info()

Allows you to create new entities

11. Example of a node entity 12. hook_entity_info_alter() Bundle is a sub class of an entity

CCK content type

13. Taxonomy terms are classified by vocabularies 14. Bundles can have there own properties 15. Fields

All entities are now fieldable

This means the concept of cck is no longer restricted to nodes

Core comes with predefined field types

Text, Options, Number, List

CCK minus user and node reference these are still contrib 16. Defining a field 17. Creating a field $vocabulary = (object) array('name' => 'Newsworthy subject', 'machine_name'=> 'newsworthy_subject'); taxonomy_vocabulary_save($vocabulary); $vocabularies = taxonomy_vocabulary_get_names(); $field = array( 'field_name' => 'newsworthy_subject', 'type' => 'taxonomy_term_reference', 'settings' => array( 'required' => FALSE, 'allowed_values' => array( array( 'vid' => $vocabularies['newsworthy_subject']->vid, 'parent' => 0, ), ), ), ); field_create_field($field); 18. Bundles

A bundle is a collection of fields associated with an entity

Sub types can have different bundles story vs business

19. Widgets can be defined here along with display modes

Each field can have a different widget on a different bundle

field_update_instance

20. field_create_instance 21. Updating a field foreach (ex_taxonomy_get_content_types() as $content_type) { $content_type = node_type_set_defaults($content_type); node_type_save($content_type); // just for good measure - it won't do anything if the field is // already present node_add_body_field($content_type); // set the weight of the body instances. $body_instance = field_info_instance('node', 'body', $content_type->type); $body_instance['required'] = TRUE; $body_instance['widget']['weight'] = 1.2; $body_instance['display']['full'] = array( 'label' => 'hidden', 'type' => 'text_default', ); field_update_instance($body_instance); } 22. Entity field api

Entity query api

The ability to create queries that are agnostic with regards field storage engines

23. What does that mean?

What is field storage?

24. Drupal 7 we don't need to store fields in just mysql

Main choices at the moment

sql_storage (core)

25. Mongodb and actively being used by examiner.com Will allow for sites to select the most appropriate storage mechanism but for scalability nosql is likely to become the weapon of choice The same query will work over multiple storage engines 26. Entity query api

What does a entity field query look like

27. Filters

Entity conditions

28. Property conditions 29. Field conditions Sorts, Count, Limit 30. More here http://api.scratch.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--entity.inc/class/EntityFieldQuery/7 31. Examples

How to roll your own

hook_field_storage_query()

Now for some code

An example query

Benefits of entity_cache and memcache

Native queries

Mysql

32. Mongo 33. No Kittens were harmed

Didn't we mention portable queries.....

A demo and code walkthrough in which no kittens are harmed!!!

Mysql vs mongodb spot the difference

34. Some basic mongo cli queries 35. The joy of theming!! Why D7 has multiple options for storage

Not all sites have the same need

36. The nature of d7 storage in mysql is problematic for scalability 37. New api allows for backends to swap out with little rework in the drupal layer 38. Views in core??

Entity query api

Negatives

Lacks the flexibility of views

39. Lack the templating structure of view 40. Has no concept of relationships But....

Database agnostic

41. Supports all queries in views that do need relationships 42. Lightweight 43. Renderable arrays make theming a joy anyway!!! 44. Thank you

Any questions?