XF 2.1 Understanding key and relationship in add-on's Setup.php file

[asprin]

So I'm creating a new table as part of my addon. In the setup file, I've the following code:

public function installStep1()
{
    $this->schemaManager()->createTable('xf_mytable', function(Create $table)
        {
            $table->addColumn('id_category', 'int')->autoIncrement();
            $table->addColumn('category_title', 'varchar', '20')->setDefault('');
            $table->addColumn('status_id', 'int'); // this is the intended foreign key column that would reference `xf_anothertable.id_status` column
            $table->addPrimaryKey('id_category');
        });
}

From reading other threads, I came across three kinds of declarations for adding a key:

 $table->addKey(['xxxxxx', 'yyyyy'], 'zzzzz'); // first format
 
 $table->addKey('xxxxxx'); // second format
 
 $table->addKey(['xxxxx', 'yyyyy']); // third format

I couldn't find the explanation of these formats in the docs. Any help as to which format will help me achieve my goal?

 

[asprin]

Okay, after running the installer via command line and observing the table structure, it appears that none of the above 3 formats add a relationship to another table. They are only used to add a index key with the same column name (first parameter which could either be an array or a string) or provide an alias for the key (the second parameter)

If that's true, how would I go about declaring the relationship inside the Setup.php file? Or is that it should be done via a Class located at src/addons/Addon-ID/Entity/MyTable.php that extends \XF\Mvc\Entity\Entity?

 

[Jeremy P]

Generally speaking, you shouldn't need to use foreign keys in XF. You can define relationships as part of the entity's structure, if that's what you're after.

 

[asprin]

You can define relationships as part of the entity's structure, if that's what you're after.

So via a Class, right? Given the following:

xf_addonid_mytable.status (FK) references xf_addonid_myanothertable.id_status (PK)


Could this be enough?

class MyAnotherTable extends \XF\Mvc\Entity\Entity
{
    public static function getStructure(Structure $structure)
    {
        $structure->table = 'xf_addonid_myanothertable';
        $structure->shortName = 'AddonID:MyAnotherTable';
        $structure->primaryKey = 'id_status';
        .
        .
        .
        $structure->relations = [
            'Statuses' => [
                'entity' => 'AddonID:MyTable',
                'type' => self::TO_ONE,
                'conditions' => 'status', 
                'primary' => true
            ]
        ];

        return $structure;
    }
}