Yii2: Post complex models - php

Question

I have a complex entity, looking similar like this:
class Article extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord {
public $id;
public $name;
/** #var ArticleAspectValue[] */
public $aspects;
public function getArticleAspectValues() {
return $this->hasMany(ArticleAspectValue::className(), ['article_id' => $this->id]);
}
}
And I have an entity serving as part of the more complex entity above.
class ArticleAspectValue extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord {
public $aspect_id; // <--- Two-attributes identifier (two-col PK in db)
public $article_id; // <----'
public $value;
}
While every ArticleAspectValue is assigned to ArticleAspect and Article as well, one article only has its own ArticleAspectValues.
The model Article consists of an id, a name and an array of sub-entities called ArticleAspectValues.
I solved the creation of input fields for each ArticleAspectValue, but since this is a simple for-each on the frontend with no connection to the model behind.
Question: How has the form and the receiving controller method to look like in order to post new values on the sub-entities, but according to their superior model, the Article?
PS the doc on complex models is TBD

Answer 1

The solution is to save the inferior model in the controller method as well as the superior, if they are ActiveRecords as well.
Following the appreciated comment from Mihai P., I repost my corrected example code from above and the solution.
The major model of the complex structure looks like this:
/**
* The superior class in a complex model.
* #property int $id
* #property string $name
*
* #property ArticleAspectValues $aspects
*/
class Article extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord
{
/**
* #return \yii\db\ActiveQuery
*/
public function getArticleAspectValues() {
return $this->hasMany(ArticleAspectValue::className(), ['article_id' => 'id']);
}
}
In Yii, properties of an ActiveRecord are created of database table columns. Yii provides magic getters to obtain their values. To work with properties which aren't actually existing, you can annotate them in the class. Most IDE's would parse these annotations and provide them as regular items of a class. Same works for methods.
The inferior class of the complex model looks like this:
/**
* The inferior class of the complex model.
* #property int $aspect_id
* #property int $article_id
* #property string $value
*/
class ArticleAspectValue extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord
{
/**
* #return \yii\db\ActiveQuery
*/
public function getArticle() {
return $this->hasOne(Article::className(), ['article_id' => 'id]);
}
}
In the controller of the superior model, the inferiors are saved within at the same time.
class ArticleController extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord
{
// ...
// Exemplary method. Goes for create action as well.
public function actionUpdate($id) {
$model = $this->findModel($id);
if ($model->load(Yii::$app->request->post()) && $model->save()) {
if ($model->aspects->load(Yii::$app->request->post()) && $model->aspects->save()) {
return $this->redirect(['view', 'id' => $model->id]);
}
}
}
The load method of ActiveRecords is able to parse a whole post data body to obtain its own values.
It's probably better to extend load and save methods of your complex model to process the inferiors, rather than instruct the controller for each inferior model.