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Using the Propel abstraction layer

Update 05/05/2026

This guide is intended for developers who wish to use the ORM Propel on a hosting environment where command-line access is restricted.

 

Preamble

  • The ORM allows linking application objects to database tables. Data is manipulated via PHP objects rather than writing raw SQL.
  • Propel is the abstraction layer that manages these interactions (relations, joins, pagination) to simplify code maintenance.

 

Particularities & limitations

  • Propel is not pre-installed via Pear.
    • You must install it manually in your project.
    • It is imperative to download the "Conventional Package" version of Propel.
  • CLI commands (such as propel-gen) are not executable on the server.
    • Consequently, Propel is only used in "Runtime" mode in production. Class generation (build) must be performed locally.
    • The workflow involves generating code in a development environment and then transferring the resulting files to the server.
  • Dependencies:
    • The complete set of libraries required for Propel is available, except for Phing.
    • The absence of Phing does not impact production, as this tool is only required during the local generation phase.

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