This guide is for people who want to work with the Propel abstraction layer (which refers to a key component of the Propel library, an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) for PHP).

Preamble

• Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) allows linking application objects to the tables of a relational database. Instead of writing SQL, data is manipulated through objects.
• Propel, a PHP abstraction layer, facilitates the creation, manipulation, and retrieval of objects without worrying about SQL details. It allows for managing relationships, joins, and pagination, while improving code readability and maintainability.

Particularities & limitations

• Propel is not installed by default as a Pear package; this means that you will have to install it manually on your server.
• The "Conventionnal Package" version of Propel can be installed; make sure to download and install this specific version.
• Since Propel command lines (e.g., propel-gen) are not accessible, you will not be able to use them directly.
• This means that Propel can only be used in production once you have generated the necessary classes and files locally or in another development environment.
• All manipulations and code generation must be done elsewhere before transferring the resulting files to your production environment.

Dependencies

• All the necessary dependencies to use Propel are available, except for Phing.
• Phing is not required for production, so this should not be an issue.
• Ensure that all other required dependencies for Propel are installed correctly.