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Use the Propel abstraction layer

Update 09/01/2026

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

 

Introduction

  • The ORM allows you to link 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 (relationships, joins, pagination) to simplify code maintenance.

 

Specific features & limitations

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

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