Extending Core Entity

Hello,

I needed to add relation between PrivacyStatement (my own entity) and core entity Contact.

I followed your documentation:
https://oroinc.com/orocrm/doc/2.6/dev-guide/entities/adding-properties
but it didn’t work. So I debugged loading metadata a bit and I found little bit different way how to extend core entities. It works fine so far for Contact entity, but I’m not sure, if it can’t break templates, routes and other stuff, so I would like confirm with you, if I can use following approach for other entities and in rest of our project.

1. As first, created migration, which create relation between PrivacyStatement and Contact:

PHP

namespace Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Migrations\Schema\v2_7; use Doctrine\DBAL\Schema\Schema; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\Migration\Extension\ExtendExtension; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\Migration\Extension\ExtendExtensionAwareInterface; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\EntityConfig\ExtendScope; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\Migration; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\QueryBag; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\OrderedMigrationInterface; class AddPrivacyStatementToContact implements Migration, OrderedMigrationInterface, ExtendExtensionAwareInterface { /** * @var ExtendExtension */ protected $extendExtension; /** * @param ExtendExtension $extendExtension */ public function setExtendExtension(ExtendExtension $extendExtension) { $this->extendExtension = $extendExtension; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function getOrder() { return 2; } public function up(Schema $schema, QueryBag $queries) { $this->extendExtension->addManyToOneRelation( $schema, 'orocrm_contact', // owning side table 'agreedPrivacyStatement', // owning side field name 'tv_organization_privacy_stmt', // inverse side table 'version', // column name is used to show related entity ['extend' => ['owner' => ExtendScope::OWNER_CUSTOM]] ); } }

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

namespace Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Migrations\Schema\v2_7;   use Doctrine\DBAL\Schema\Schema; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\Migration\Extension\ExtendExtension; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\Migration\Extension\ExtendExtensionAwareInterface; use Oro\Bundle\EntityExtendBundle\EntityConfig\ExtendScope; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\Migration; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\QueryBag; use Oro\Bundle\MigrationBundle\Migration\OrderedMigrationInterface;   class AddPrivacyStatementToContact implements Migration, OrderedMigrationInterface, ExtendExtensionAwareInterface {       /**      * @var ExtendExtension      */     protected $extendExtension;       /**      * @param ExtendExtension $extendExtension      */     public function setExtendExtension(ExtendExtension $extendExtension)     {         $this->extendExtension = $extendExtension;     }       /**      * {@inheritdoc}      */     public function getOrder()     {         return 2;     }       public function up(Schema $schema, QueryBag $queries)     {         $this->extendExtension->addManyToOneRelation(             $schema,             'orocrm_contact', // owning side table             'agreedPrivacyStatement', // owning side field name             'tv_organization_privacy_stmt', // inverse side table             'version', // column name is used to show related entity             ['extend' => ['owner' => ExtendScope::OWNER_CUSTOM]]         );     }   }

2. As second, I created my own entity Contact, which extends original \Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact, I didn’t create ExtendContact class in Model folder of my bundle as documention shows. When I did that, then it didn’t work. Oro was creating EX_TvContactBundle_Contact proxy class and remove EX_OroContactBundle_Contact proxy class from inheritance chain. Then migrations was failing due to missing property $picture, which is dynamically created in EX_OroContactBundle_Contact from configuration.

PHP

namespace Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity; use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM; use Oro\Bundle\EntityConfigBundle\Metadata\Annotation\Config; /** * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Repository\ContactRepository") * @ORM\Table( * name="orocrm_contact", * indexes={ * @ORM\Index(name="contact_name_idx",columns={"last_name", "first_name", "id"}), * @ORM\Index(name="contact_updated_at_idx",columns={"updatedAt"}), * } * ) * @ORM\HasLifecycleCallbacks() * @Config( * routeName="oro_contact_index", * routeView="oro_contact_view", * defaultValues={ * "entity"={ * "icon"="fa-users", * "contact_information"={ * "email"={ * {"fieldName"="primaryEmail"} * }, * "phone"={ * {"fieldName"="primaryPhone"} * } * } * }, * "ownership"={ * "owner_type"="USER", * "owner_field_name"="owner", * "owner_column_name"="user_owner_id", * "organization_field_name"="organization", * "organization_column_name"="organization_id" * }, * "security"={ * "type"="ACL", * "group_name"="", * "category"="account_management" * }, * "form"={ * "form_type"="oro_contact_select", * "grid_name"="contacts-select-grid", * }, * "dataaudit"={ * "auditable"=true * }, * "grid"={ * "default"="contacts-grid", * "context"="contacts-for-context-grid" * }, * "tag"={ * "enabled"=true * }, * "merge"={ * "enable"=true * } * } * ) */ class Contact extends \Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact { }

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

namespace Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity;   use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM; use Oro\Bundle\EntityConfigBundle\Metadata\Annotation\Config;   /** * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Repository\ContactRepository") * @ORM\Table( *      name="orocrm_contact", *      indexes={ *          @ORM\Index(name="contact_name_idx",columns={"last_name", "first_name", "id"}), *          @ORM\Index(name="contact_updated_at_idx",columns={"updatedAt"}), *      } * ) * @ORM\HasLifecycleCallbacks() * @Config( *      routeName="oro_contact_index", *      routeView="oro_contact_view", *      defaultValues={ *          "entity"={ *              "icon"="fa-users", *              "contact_information"={ *                  "email"={ *                      {"fieldName"="primaryEmail"} *                  }, *                  "phone"={ *                      {"fieldName"="primaryPhone"} *                  } *              } *          }, *          "ownership"={ *              "owner_type"="USER", *              "owner_field_name"="owner", *              "owner_column_name"="user_owner_id", *              "organization_field_name"="organization", *              "organization_column_name"="organization_id" *          }, *          "security"={ *              "type"="ACL", *              "group_name"="", *              "category"="account_management" *          }, *          "form"={ *              "form_type"="oro_contact_select", *              "grid_name"="contacts-select-grid", *          }, *          "dataaudit"={ *              "auditable"=true *          }, *          "grid"={ *              "default"="contacts-grid", *              "context"="contacts-for-context-grid" *          }, *          "tag"={ *              "enabled"=true *          }, *          "merge"={ *              "enable"=true *          } *      } * ) */ class Contact extends \Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact { }

When doctrine loads metadata, I have following inheritance chain:
– Oro\Bundle\BusinessEntitiesBundle\Entity\BasePerson
– Extend\Entity\EX_OroContactBundle_Contact (so configuration for Contact entity can be generate and applied)
– Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact
– Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact
What is exactly what I want.

3. As next, I needed force ORO app use my exteded Contact entity instead of original one. So I reconfigure parameter %oro_contact.entity.class:% in services config.

PHP

oro_contact.entity.class: Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact

1	oro_contact.entity.class: Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact

4. and for search indexer I needed copy & paste search.yml file from ContactBundle and create my own with my own entity:

PHP

search: Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact: alias: oro_contact label: oro.contact.entity_plural_label title_fields: [namePrefix, firstName, lastName] route: name: oro_contact_view parameters: id: id search_template: OroContactBundle:Contact:searchResult.html.twig fields: - name: namePrefix target_type: text target_fields: [namePrefix] - name: firstName target_type: text target_fields: [firstName] - name: middleName target_type: text target_fields: [middleName] - name: lastName target_type: text target_fields: [lastName] - name: nameSuffix target_type: text target_fields: [nameSuffix] - name: description target_type: text target_fields: [description] - name: primaryEmail target_type: text target_fields: [primaryEmail] - name: primaryPhone target_type: text target_fields: [primaryPhone] - name: fax target_type: text target_fields: [fax] - name: skype target_type: text target_fields: [skype] - name: jobTitle target_type: text target_fields: [jobTitle] - name: twitter target_type: text target_fields: [twitter] - name: facebook target_type: text target_fields: [facebook] - name: linkedIn target_type: text target_fields: [linkedIn] - name: googlePlus target_type: text target_fields: [googlePlus] - name: phones relation_type: one-to-many relation_fields: - name: phone target_type: text target_fields: [contactPhones] - name: emails relation_type: one-to-many relation_fields: - name: email target_type: text target_fields: [email]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87

search:     Tv\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact:         alias: oro_contact         label: oro.contact.entity_plural_label         title_fields: [namePrefix, firstName, lastName]         route:             name: oro_contact_view             parameters:                 id: id         search_template: OroContactBundle:Contact:searchResult.html.twig         fields:             -                 name:                   namePrefix                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [namePrefix]             -                 name:                   firstName                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [firstName]             -                 name:                   middleName                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [middleName]             -                 name:                   lastName                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [lastName]             -                 name:                   nameSuffix                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [nameSuffix]             -                 name:                   description                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [description]             -                 name:                   primaryEmail                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [primaryEmail]             -                 name:                   primaryPhone                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [primaryPhone]             -                 name:                   fax                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [fax]             -                 name:                   skype                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [skype]             -                 name:                   jobTitle                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [jobTitle]             -                 name:                   twitter                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [twitter]             -                 name:                   facebook                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [facebook]             -                 name:                   linkedIn                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [linkedIn]             -                 name:                   googlePlus                 target_type:            text                 target_fields:          [googlePlus]             -                 name: phones                 relation_type: one-to-many                 relation_fields:                     -                         name: phone                         target_type: text                         target_fields: [contactPhones]             -                 name: emails                 relation_type: one-to-many                 relation_fields:                     -                         name: email                         target_type: text                         target_fields: [email]

I reached exactly what I wanted:
1. I have own class of Contact entity, so I can override auto-generated methods and implement my own behaviour (for example add additional validations and protect entity against setting into incorrect state)
2. I can write unit tests for code or parts of application, which use Contact entity

I’m very new in ORO environment, so I don’t know if my solution has any disadvantages or can crash application in other parts of application. It works nice so far. Original (Core) Oro code uses my new entity, I can create / update / display contact, I can write unit test.

Thanks in advance for your opinion.

Topic

[tomas.hochParticipant]

Ok, I found one unbreakable barrier in my approach. I didn’t realize, that entity Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact is marked as entity via annotation and doctrine not allow to extend another entity. So when I ran rebuild of DB, migrations failed due to:

ERROR: Table "orocrm_contact" has more than 1 class. Use "getEntityClassesByTableNames" method instead.

So I created listener on ClassMetadataEvent to change mapping of Oro\Bundle\ContactBundle\Entity\Contact to MappedSuperClass. But it also didn’t help because Contact has relations OneToMany and relations OneToMany in MappedSuperClass are not allowed in doctrine.

So I would have to update my listener and do something what Sylius does: https://github.com/Sylius/SyliusResourceBundle/blob/master/EventListener/ORMMappedSuperClassSubscriber.php

My goal is have extended class to be able to:
1. Write unit tests
2. Implement my own logic for field added to Contact via ORO migrations

Any idea how to reach that?

I would appreciate any feedback / idea.

[Andrey YatsenkoModerator]

Hi Tomas,
First of all extending entities in Symfony is not allowed by design so “2. As second, I created my own entity Contact, which extends original” you should revert this changes as it’s not possible at all.

Overriding entity metadata can be done using migrations or entity metadata listener. Better to use migrations.

Here you can find the documentation how to create relations to extended core entities

https://github.com/oroinc/platform/blob/master/src/Oro/Bundle/EntityExtendBundle/Resources/doc/relations.md

[tomas.hochParticipant]

Hi Andrey,

It’s not good news for me. Using migrations seem to be best. Writing own metadata listener would take too much time.

Thank you for your feedback.

[Author]

Replies