Database Forge Class

The Database Forge Class contains methods that help you manage your database.

Initializing the Forge Class
Creating and Dropping Databases
- Creating Databases in the Command Line
Creating and Dropping Tables
Modifying Tables
Class Reference

Initializing the Forge Class 

Important

In order to initialize the Forge class, your database driver must already be running, since the forge class relies on it.

Load the Forge Class as follows:

$forge = \Config\Database::forge();

You can also pass another database group name to the DB Forge loader, in case the database you want to manage isn’t the default one:

$this->myforge = \Config\Database::forge('other_db');

In the above example, we’re passing the name of a different database group to connect to as the first parameter.

Creating and Dropping Databases 

$forge->createDatabase(‘db_name’)

Permits you to create the database specified in the first parameter. Returns true/false based on success or failure:

if ($forge->createDatabase('my_db')) {
    echo 'Database created!';
}

An optional second parameter set to true will add IF EXISTS statement or will check if a database exists before create it (depending on DBMS).

$forge->createDatabase('my_db', true);
// gives CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `my_db`
// or will check if a database exists

$forge->dropDatabase(‘db_name’)

Permits you to drop the database specified in the first parameter. Returns true/false based on success or failure:

if ($forge->dropDatabase('my_db')) {
    echo 'Database deleted!';
}

Creating Databases in the Command Line 

CodeIgniter supports creating databases straight from your favorite terminal using the dedicated db:create command. By using this command it is assumed that the database is not yet existing. Otherwise, CodeIgniter will complain that the database creation has failed.

To start, just type the command and the name of the database (e.g., foo):

> php spark db:create foo

If everything went fine, you should expect the Database "foo" successfully created. message displayed.

If you are on a testing environment or you are using the SQLite3 driver, you may pass in the file extension for the file where the database will be created using the --ext option. Valid values are db and sqlite and defaults to db. Remember that these should not be preceded by a period.

> php spark db:create foo --ext sqlite
// will create the db file in WRITEPATH/foo.sqlite

Note

When using the special SQLite3 database name :memory:, expect that the command will still produce a success message but no database file is created. This is because SQLite3 will just use an in-memory database.

Creating and Dropping Tables 

There are several things you may wish to do when creating tables. Add fields, add keys to the table, alter columns. CodeIgniter provides a mechanism for this.

Adding fields 

Fields are normally created via an associative array. Within the array, you must include a ‘type’ key that relates to the datatype of the field. For example, INT, VARCHAR, TEXT, etc. Many datatypes (for example VARCHAR) also require a ‘constraint’ key.

$fields = [
    'users' => [
        'type'       => 'VARCHAR',
        'constraint' => 100,
    ],
];
// will translate to "users VARCHAR(100)" when the field is added.

Additionally, the following key/values can be used:

unsigned/true : to generate “UNSIGNED” in the field definition.
default/value : to generate a default value in the field definition.
null/true : to generate “null” in the field definition. Without this, the field will default to “NOT null”.
auto_increment/true : generates an auto_increment flag on the field. Note that the field type must be a type that supports this, such as integer.
unique/true : to generate a unique key for the field definition.

$fields = [
    'id'          => [
        'type'           => 'INT',
        'constraint'     => 5,
        'unsigned'       => true,
        'auto_increment' => true
    ],
    'title'       => [
        'type'           => 'VARCHAR',
        'constraint'     => '100',
        'unique'         => true,
    ],
    'author'      => [
        'type'           =>'VARCHAR',
        'constraint'     => 100,
        'default'        => 'King of Town',
    ],
    'description' => [
        'type'           => 'TEXT',
        'null'           => true,
    ],
    'status'      => [
        'type'           => 'ENUM',
        'constraint'     => ['publish', 'pending', 'draft'],
        'default'        => 'pending',
    ],
];

After the fields have been defined, they can be added using $forge->addField($fields); followed by a call to the createTable() method.

$forge->addField()

The add fields method will accept the above array.

Passing strings as fields

If you know exactly how you want a field to be created, you can pass the string into the field definitions with addField()

$forge->addField("label varchar(100) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'default label'");

Note

Passing raw strings as fields cannot be followed by addKey() calls on those fields.

Note

Multiple calls to addField() are cumulative.

Creating an id field

There is a special exception for creating id fields. A field with type id will automatically be assigned as an INT(9) auto_incrementing Primary Key.

$forge->addField('id');
// gives `id` INT(9) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT

Adding Keys 

Generally speaking, you’ll want your table to have Keys. This is accomplished with $forge->addKey(‘field’). The optional second parameter set to true will make it a primary key and the third parameter set to true will make it a unique key. Note that addKey() must be followed by a call to createTable().

Multiple column non-primary keys must be sent as an array. Sample output below is for MySQL.

$forge->addKey('blog_id', true);
// gives PRIMARY KEY `blog_id` (`blog_id`)

$forge->addKey('blog_id', true);
$forge->addKey('site_id', true);
// gives PRIMARY KEY `blog_id_site_id` (`blog_id`, `site_id`)

$forge->addKey('blog_name');
// gives KEY `blog_name` (`blog_name`)

$forge->addKey(['blog_name', 'blog_label']);
// gives KEY `blog_name_blog_label` (`blog_name`, `blog_label`)

$forge->addKey(['blog_id', 'uri'], false, true);
// gives UNIQUE KEY `blog_id_uri` (`blog_id`, `uri`)

To make code reading more objective it is also possible to add primary and unique keys with specific methods:

$forge->addPrimaryKey('blog_id');
// gives PRIMARY KEY `blog_id` (`blog_id`)

$forge->addUniqueKey(['blog_id', 'uri']);
// gives UNIQUE KEY `blog_id_uri` (`blog_id`, `uri`)

Adding Foreign Keys 

Foreign Keys help to enforce relationships and actions across your tables. For tables that support Foreign Keys, you may add them directly in forge:

$forge->addForeignKey('users_id', 'users', 'id');
// gives CONSTRAINT `TABLENAME_users_foreign` FOREIGN KEY(`users_id`) REFERENCES `users`(`id`)

$forge->addForeignKey(['users_id', 'users_name'], 'users', ['id', 'name']);
// gives CONSTRAINT `TABLENAME_users_foreign` FOREIGN KEY(`users_id`, `users_name`) REFERENCES `users`(`id`, `name`)

You can specify the desired action for the “on delete” and “on update” properties of the constraint:

$forge->addForeignKey('users_id', 'users', 'id', 'CASCADE', 'CASCADE');
// gives CONSTRAINT `TABLENAME_users_foreign` FOREIGN KEY(`users_id`) REFERENCES `users`(`id`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE

$forge->addForeignKey(['users_id', 'users_name'], 'users', ['id', 'name'], 'CASCADE', 'CASCADE');
// gives CONSTRAINT `TABLENAME_users_foreign` FOREIGN KEY(`users_id`, `users_name`) REFERENCES `users`(`id`, `name`) ON DELETE CASCADE ON UPDATE CASCADE

Creating a table 

After fields and keys have been declared, you can create a new table with

$forge->createTable('table_name');
// gives CREATE TABLE table_name

An optional second parameter set to true adds an “IF NOT EXISTS” clause into the definition

$forge->createTable('table_name', true);
// gives CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS table_name

You could also pass optional table attributes, such as MySQL’s ENGINE:

$attributes = ['ENGINE' => 'InnoDB'];
$forge->createTable('table_name', false, $attributes);
// produces: CREATE TABLE `table_name` (...) ENGINE = InnoDB DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci

Note

Unless you specify the CHARACTER SET and/or COLLATE attributes, createTable() will always add them with your configured charset and DBCollat values, as long as they are not empty (MySQL only).

Dropping a table 

Execute a DROP TABLE statement and optionally add an IF EXISTS clause.

// Produces: DROP TABLE `table_name`
$forge->dropTable('table_name');

// Produces: DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `table_name`
$forge->dropTable('table_name', true);

A third parameter can be passed to add a “CASCADE” option, which might be required for some drivers to handle removal of tables with foreign keys.

// Produces: DROP TABLE `table_name` CASCADE
$forge->dropTable('table_name', false, true);

Dropping a Foreign Key 

Execute a DROP FOREIGN KEY.

// Produces: ALTER TABLE `tablename` DROP FOREIGN KEY `users_foreign`
$forge->dropForeignKey('tablename', 'users_foreign');

Dropping a Key 

Execute a DROP KEY.

// Produces: DROP INDEX `users_index` ON `tablename`
$forge->dropKey('tablename', 'users_index');

Renaming a table 

Executes a TABLE rename

$forge->renameTable('old_table_name', 'new_table_name');
// gives ALTER TABLE `old_table_name` RENAME TO `new_table_name`

Modifying Tables 

Adding a Column to a Table 

$forge->addColumn()

The addColumn() method is used to modify an existing table. It accepts the same field array as above, and can be used for an unlimited number of additional fields.

$fields = [
    'preferences' => ['type' => 'TEXT']
];
$forge->addColumn('table_name', $fields);
// Executes: ALTER TABLE `table_name` ADD `preferences` TEXT

If you are using MySQL or CUBIRD, then you can take advantage of their AFTER and FIRST clauses to position the new column.

Examples:

// Will place the new column after the `another_field` column:
$fields = [
    'preferences' => ['type' => 'TEXT', 'after' => 'another_field']
];

// Will place the new column at the start of the table definition:
$fields = [
    'preferences' => ['type' => 'TEXT', 'first' => true]
];

Dropping Columns From a Table 

$forge->dropColumn()

Used to remove a column from a table.

$forge->dropColumn('table_name', 'column_to_drop'); // to drop one single column

Used to remove multiple columns from a table.

$forge->dropColumn('table_name', 'column_1,column_2'); // by proving comma separated column names
$forge->dropColumn('table_name', ['column_1', 'column_2']); // by proving array of column names

Modifying a Column in a Table 

$forge->modifyColumn()

The usage of this method is identical to addColumn(), except it alters an existing column rather than adding a new one. In order to change the name, you can add a “name” key into the field defining array.

$fields = [
    'old_name' => [
        'name' => 'new_name',
        'type' => 'TEXT',
    ],
];
$forge->modifyColumn('table_name', $fields);
// gives ALTER TABLE `table_name` CHANGE `old_name` `new_name` TEXT

Class Reference 

CodeIgniter\Database\Forge

addColumn($table[, $field = []])

Parameters

$table (string) – Table name to add the column to
$field (array) – Column definition(s)

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Adds a column to a table. Usage: See Adding a Column to a Table.

addField($field)

Parameters

$field (array) – Field definition to add

Returns

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge instance (method chaining)

Return type

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge

Adds a field to the set that will be used to create a table. Usage: See Adding fields.

addForeignKey($fieldName, $tableName, $tableField[, $onUpdate = '', $onDelete = ''])

Parameters

$fieldName (string|string[]) – Name of a key field or an array of fields
$tableName (string) – Name of a parent table
$tableField (string|string[]) – Name of a parent table field or an array of fields
$onUpdate (string) – Desired action for the “on update”
$onDelete (string) – Desired action for the “on delete”

Returns

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge instance (method chaining)

Return type

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge

Adds a foreign key to the set that will be used to create a table. Usage: See Adding Foreign Keys.

addKey($key[, $primary = false[, $unique = false]])

Parameters

$key (mixed) – Name of a key field or an array of fields
$primary (bool) – Set to true if it should be a primary key or a regular one
$unique (bool) – Set to true if it should be a unique key or a regular one

Returns

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge instance (method chaining)

Return type

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge

Adds a key to the set that will be used to create a table. Usage: See Adding Keys.

addPrimaryKey($key)

Parameters

$key (mixed) – Name of a key field or an array of fields

Returns

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge instance (method chaining)

Return type

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge

Adds a primary key to the set that will be used to create a table. Usage: See Adding Keys.

addUniqueKey($key)

Parameters

$key (mixed) – Name of a key field or an array of fields

Returns

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge instance (method chaining)

Return type

CodeIgniterDatabaseForge

Adds a unique key to the set that will be used to create a table. Usage: See Adding Keys.

createDatabase($dbName[, $ifNotExists = false])

Parameters

$db_name (string) – Name of the database to create
$ifNotExists (string) – Set to true to add an ‘IF NOT EXISTS’ clause or check if database exists

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Creates a new database. Usage: See Creating and Dropping Databases.

createTable($table[, $if_not_exists = false[, array $attributes = []]])

Parameters

$table (string) – Name of the table to create
$if_not_exists (string) – Set to true to add an ‘IF NOT EXISTS’ clause
$attributes (string) – An associative array of table attributes

Returns

Query object on success, false on failure

Return type

mixed

Creates a new table. Usage: See Creating a table.

dropColumn($table, $column_name)

Parameters

$table (string) – Table name
$column_names (mixed) – Comma-delimited string or an array of column names

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Drops single or multiple columns from a table. Usage: See Dropping Columns From a Table.

dropDatabase($dbName)

Parameters

$dbName (string) – Name of the database to drop

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Drops a database. Usage: See Creating and Dropping Databases.

dropTable($table_name[, $if_exists = false])

Parameters

$table (string) – Name of the table to drop
$if_exists (string) – Set to true to add an ‘IF EXISTS’ clause

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Drops a table. Usage: See Dropping a table.

modifyColumn($table, $field)

Parameters

$table (string) – Table name
$field (array) – Column definition(s)

Returns

true on success, false on failure

Return type

bool

Modifies a table column. Usage: See Modifying a Column in a Table.

renameTable($table_name, $new_table_name)

Parameters

$table (string) – Current of the table
$new_table_name (string) – New name of the table

Returns

Query object on success, false on failure

Return type

mixed

Renames a table. Usage: See Renaming a table.