/ 
DBIx-DBO-0.11
River stage zero No dependents
/ DBIx::DBO::Query

NAME

DBIx::DBO::Query - An OO interface to SQL queries and results. Encapsulates an entire query in an object.

SYNOPSIS

# Create a Query object by JOINing 2 tables
my $query = $dbo->query('my_table', 'my_other_table');

# Get the Table objects from the query
my ($table1, $table2) = $query->tables;

# Add a JOIN ON clause
$query->join_on($table1 ** 'login', '=', $table2 ** 'username');

# Find our ancestors, and order by age (oldest first)
$query->where('name', '=', 'Adam');
$query->where('name', '=', 'Eve');
$query->order_by({ COL => 'age', ORDER => 'DESC' });

# New Query using a LEFT JOIN
($query, $table1) = $dbo->query('my_table');
$table2 = $query->join_table('another_table', 'LEFT');
$query->join_on($table1 ** 'parent_id', '=', $table2 ** 'child_id');

# Find those not aged between 20 and 30.
$query->where($table1 ** 'age', '<', 20, FORCE => 'OR'); # Force OR so that we get: (age < 20 OR age > 30)
$query->where($table1 ** 'age', '>', 30, FORCE => 'OR'); # instead of the default: (age < 20 AND age > 30)

DESCRIPTION

A Query object represents rows from a database (from one or more tables). This module makes it easy, not only to fetch and use the data in the returned rows, but also to modify the query to return a different result set.

METHODS

new

DBIx::DBO::Query->new($dbo, $table1, ...);

Create a new Query object from the tables specified. In scalar context, just the Query object will be returned. In list context, the Query object and DBIx::DBO::Table objects will be returned for each table specified.

reset

$query->reset;

Reset the query, start over with a clean slate.

NB: This will not remove the JOINs or JOIN ON clauses.

tables

Return a list of DBIx::DBO::Table objects for this query.

column

$query->column($alias_or_column_name);

Returns a reference to a column for use with other methods.

show

$query->show(@columns);
$query->show($table1, {COL => $table2 ** 'name', AS => 'name2'});
$query->show($table1 ** 'id', {FUNC => 'UCASE(?)', COL => 'name', AS => 'alias'}, ...

Specify which columns to show as an array. If the array is empty all columns will be shown. If you use a Table object, all the columns from that table will be shown.

distinct

$query->distinct(1);
my $is_distinct = $query->distinct();

Takes a boolean argument to add or remove the DISTINCT clause for the returned rows. Returns the previous setting.

join_table

$query->join_table($table, $join_type);
$query->join_table([$schema, $table], $join_type);
$query->join_table($table_object, $join_type);

Join a table onto the query, creating a DBIx::DBO::Table object if needed. This will perform a comma (", ") join unless $join_type is specified.

Valid join types are any accepted by the DB. Eg: 'JOIN', 'LEFT', 'RIGHT', undef (for comma join), 'INNER', 'OUTER', ...

Returns the Table object.

join_on

$query->join_on($table_object, $expression1, $operator, $expression2);
$query->join_on($table2, $table1 ** 'id', '=', $table2 ** 'id');

Join tables on a specific WHERE clause. The first argument is the table object being joined onto. Then a JOIN ON condition follows, which uses the same arguments as "where".

open_join_on_bracket, close_join_on_bracket

$query->open_join_on_bracket($table, 'OR');
$query->join_on(...
$query->close_join_on_bracket($table);

Equivalent to open_bracket, but for the JOIN ON clause. The first argument is the table being joined onto.

where

Restrict the query with the condition specified (WHERE clause).

$query->where($expression1, $operator, $expression2);
$query->where($table1 ** 'id', '=', $table2 ** 'id');

$operator is one of: '=', '<', '>', 'IN', 'NOT IN', 'BETWEEN', 'NOT BETWEEN', ...

$expressions can be any of the following:

  • A scalar value: 123 or 'hello' (or for $expression1 a column name: 'id')

  • A scalar reference: \"22 * 3" (These are passed unquoted in the SQL statement!)

  • An array reference: [1, 3, 5] (Used with IN and BETWEEN etc)

  • A Column object: $table ** 'id' or $table->column('id')

  • A hash reference: (Described below)

For a more complex where expression it can be passed as a hash reference. Possibly containing scalars, arrays or Column objects.

$query->where('name', '=', { FUNC => 'COALESCE(?,?)', VAL => [$name, 'Unknown'] });
$query->where('string', '=', { FUNC => "CONCAT('Mr. ',?)", COL => 'name' });

The keys to the hash in a complex expression are:

  • VAL => A scalar, scalar reference or an array reference.

  • COL => The name of a column or a Column object.

  • AS => An alias name.

  • FUNC => A string to be inserted into the SQL, possibly containing "?" placeholders.

  • COLLATE => The collation for this value/field.

  • ORDER => To order by a column (Used only in group_by and order_by).

Multiple where expressions are combined cleverly using the preferred aggregator 'AND' (unless open_bracket was used to change this). So that when you add where expressions to the query, they will be ANDed together. However some expressions that refer to the same column will automatically be ORed instead where this makes sense, currently: '=', 'IS NULL', <=>, IN and 'BETWEEN'. Similarly, when the preferred aggregator is 'OR' the following operators will be ANDed together: '!=', 'IS NOT NULL', <>, NOT IN and 'NOT BETWEEN'.

$query->where('id', '=', 5);
$query->where('name', '=', 'Bob');
$query->where('id', '=', 7);
$query->where(...
# Produces: WHERE ("id" = 5 OR "id" = 7) AND "name" = 'Bob' AND ...

unwhere

$query->unwhere();
$query->unwhere($column);

Removes all previously added "where" restrictions for a column. If no column is provided, the whole WHERE clause is removed.

open_bracket, close_bracket

$query->open_bracket('OR');
$query->where( ...
$query->where( ...
$query->close_bracket;

Used to group where expressions together in parenthesis using either 'AND' or 'OR' as the preferred aggregator. All the where calls made between open_bracket and close_bracket will be inside the parenthesis.

Without any parenthesis 'AND' is the preferred aggregator.

group_by

$query->group_by('column', ...);
$query->group_by($table ** 'column', ...);
$query->group_by({ COL => $table ** 'column', ORDER => 'DESC' }, ...);

Group the results by the column(s) listed. This will replace the GROUP BY clause. To remove the GROUP BY clause simply call group_by without any columns.

having

Restrict the query with the condition specified (HAVING clause). This takes the same arguments as "where".

$query->having($expression1, $operator, $expression2);

unhaving

$query->unhaving();
$query->unhaving($column);

Removes all previously added "having" restrictions for a column. If no column is provided, the whole HAVING clause is removed.

order_by

$query->order_by('column', ...);
$query->order_by($table ** 'column', ...);
$query->order_by({ COL => $table ** 'column', ORDER => 'DESC' }, ...);

Order the results by the column(s) listed. This will replace the ORDER BY clause. To remove the ORDER BY clause simply call order_by without any columns.

limit

$query->limit;
$query->limit($rows);
$query->limit($rows, $offset);

Limit the maximum number of rows returned to $rows, optionally skipping the first $offset rows. When called without arguments or if $rows is undefined, the limit is removed.

arrayref

$query->arrayref;
$query->arrayref(\%attr);

Run the query using DBI->selectall_arrayref which returns the result as an arrayref. You can specify a slice by including a 'Slice' or 'Columns' attribute in %attr - See DBI->selectall_arrayref.

hashref

$query->hashref($key_field);
$query->hashref($key_field, \%attr);

Run the query using DBI->selectall_hashref which returns the result as an hashref. $key_field defines which column, or columns, are used as keys in the returned hash.

col_arrayref

$query->col_arrayref;
$query->col_arrayref(\%attr);

Run the query using DBI->selectcol_arrayref which returns the result as an arrayref of the values of each row in one array. By default it pushes all the columns requested by the "show" method onto the result array (this differs from the DBI). Or to specify which columns to include in the result use the 'Columns' attribute in %attr - see DBI->selectcol_arrayref.

fetch

my $row = $query->fetch;

Fetch the next row from the query. This will run/rerun the query if needed.

Returns a DBIx::DBO::Row object or undefined if there are no more rows.

row

my $row = $query->row;

Returns the DBIx::DBO::Row object for the current row from the query or an empty DBIx::DBO::Row object if there is no current row.

run

$query->run;

Run/rerun the query. This is called automatically before fetching the first row.

rows

my $row_count = $query->rows;

Count the number of rows returned. Returns undefined if the number is unknown.

count_rows

my $row_count = $query->count_rows;

Count the number of rows that would be returned. Returns undefined if there is an error.

found_rows

$query->config(CalcFoundRows => 1); # Only applicable to MySQL
my $total_rows = $query->found_rows;

Return the number of rows that would have been returned if there was no limit clause. Before runnning the query the CalcFoundRows config option can be enabled for improved performance on supported databases.

Returns undefined if there is an error or is unable to determine the number of found rows.

sql

my $sql = $query->sql;

Returns the SQL query statement string.

sth

my $sth = $query->sth;

Reutrns the DBI statement handle from the query. This will run/rerun the query if needed.

finish

$query->finish;

Calls DBI->finish on the statement handle, if it's active. Restarts stored queries from the first row (if created using the StoreRows config).

Common Methods

These methods are accessible from all DBIx::DBO* objects.

dbh

The read-write DBI handle.

rdbh

The read-only DBI handle, or if there is no read-only connection, the read-write DBI handle.

do

$query->do($statement)         or die $query->dbh->errstr;
$query->do($statement, \%attr) or die $query->dbh->errstr;
$query->do($statement, \%attr, @bind_values) or die ...

This provides access to DBI->do method. It defaults to using the read-write DBI handle.

config

$query_setting = $query->config($option);
$query->config($option => $query_setting);

Get or set this Query object's config settings. When setting an option, the previous value is returned. When getting an option's value, if the value is undefined, the DBIx::DBO's value is returned.

See "Available_config_options" in DBIx::DBO.

SUBCLASSING

When subclassing DBIx::DBO::Query, please note that Query objects created with the "new" method are blessed into a DBD driver specific module. For example, if using MySQL, a new Query object will be blessed into DBIx::DBO::Query::DBD::mysql which inherits from DBIx::DBO::Query. However if objects are created from a subclass called MySubClass the new object will be blessed into MySubClass::DBD::mysql which will inherit from both MySubClass and DBIx::DBO::Query::DBD::mysql.

Classes can easily be created for tables in your database. Assume you want to create a Query and Row class for a "Users" table:

package My::Users;
use base 'DBIx::DBO::Query';

sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    my $dbo = shift;
    
    my $self = $class->SUPER::new($dbo, 'Users'); # Create the Query for the "Users" table
    
    # We could even add some JOINs or other clauses here
    
    return $self;
}
sub _row_class { 'My::User' } # Rows are blessed into this class

package My::User;
use base 'DBIx::DBO::Row';

sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    my ($dbo, $parent) = @_;
    
    $parent ||= My::Users->new($dbo); # The Row will use the same table as it's parent
    
    $class->SUPER::new($dbo, $parent);
}

TODO LIST

  • Better explanation of how to construct complex queries. This module is currently still in development (including the documentation), but I will be adding to/completing it in the near future.

SEE ALSO

DBIx::DBO