Zend Framework 2, making the model query a web service - php

Question

I'm completely new to Zend framework (though I've already used Symfony2 and I've heard they're similar), and I've started a project in which I have to upgrade a site (that is already fully functional) that was created with Zend 1.11.
The aim of my upgrade is to allow data (that was originally stored in a database, and that will now be stored in nosql, and a database, and could be in the future stored elsewhere) to be more buildable and less strongly coupled with Zend's model. (Model as in the M of MVC).
In order to achieve this, I was asked to use a web service that would interact with the data, and Zend's model.
That way, when the data's structure would be modified, the Zend website wouldn't directly be impacted, (and would still work!) and we'd just have to re-arrange the web service.
Is there any elegant way to make Zend's model interact with a web service rather than a database?
I hope my question is understandable...
Have a nice day,
M.G.

Answer 1

You can use Data mapper pattern. As a reference, you can see how the module ZfcUser has adopted this pattern
You can create an interface of mapper for each entity and create an implementation according to the the data storage.
For example,
Product Entity
class Product
{
/**
* #var int
*/
protected $id;
/**
* #var string
*/
protected $name;
/**
* Get id.
*
* #return int
*/
public function getId()
{
return $this->id;
}
/**
* Set id.
*
* #param int $id
* #return UserInterface
*/
public function setId($id)
{
$this->id = (int) $id;
return $this;
}
/**
* Get name.
*
* #return string
*/
public function getName()
{
return $this->name;
}
/**
* Set name.
*
* #param string $name
* #return UserInterface
*/
public function setName($name)
{
$this->name = $name;
return $this;
}
}
Product Mapper
<?php
<?php
namespace Product\Mapper;
interface ProductMapperInterface
{
/**
* #var int $id
* #returns \Product\Entity\Product
*/
public function findById($id);
/**
* #var array $criteria
* #returns \Product\Entity\Product[]
*/
public function find(array $criteria, .....);
/**
* #var \Product\Entity\Product $product
*/
public function insert($product);
/**
* #var \Product\Entity\Product $product
*/
public function update($product);
}
To populate the entity, you can use hydrators. As a reference, you can view how ZfcUser uses hydrators.