OOP efficiency when using a class in another class - php

Question

I have a class called DB (class.pdo.php) that does all the handling on mysql queries using PDO and another class called user that I use to manage a login system.
My question relates to always having to instantiate the $db in every public function of users so I can use DB. Is this efficient? Shouldn't I be instantiating DB inside the __construct() of users?
This is my code
require_once("../../class.pdo.php");
class user {
private $db = null;
public function __construct(){
/* Empty? */
}
public function find_by_email($email){
$db = new db();
$db->query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email LIMIT 1');
$db->bind(':email',$email);
$result = $db->single();
return $result;
}
public function create($email,$password,$first_name,$last_name){
$db = new db();
$db->query("INSERT INTO users(email,password,first_name,last_name,created_at) VALUES (:email,:password,:first_name,:last_name,NOW())");
$db->bind(':email',$email);
$db->bind(':password',$password);
$db->bind(':first_name',$first_name);
$db->bind(':last_name',$last_name);
$result = $db->execute();
return $db->lastInsertId();
}
[more similar functions ommited]

Answer 1

Well, despite of some comments suggesting the use of the Singleton pattern, I totaly disagree in using it for this purpose.
Your application will not always use a single connection to just one database.
Let me show you how I'd do this:
class DbConnector {
private $dbh;
private $dsn;
public function __construct($dsn) {
$this->dsn = $dsn;
}
private function connect() {
if($this->dbh === null) {
$this->dbh = new PDO($this->dsn);
}
}
public function disconnect {
if($this->dbh !== null) {
$this->dbh = null;
}
}
public function query($sql) {
$this->connect();
//... do the rest
}
public function fetchAll($sql) {
$this->connect();
//... do the rest
}
public function insert($table, $values) {
$this->connect();
//... do the rest
}
public function update($table, $values, $cond) {
$this->connect();
//... do the rest
}
public function delete($table, $cond) {
$this->connect();
//... do the rest
}
}
class User {
private $dbConn;
public function __construct(DbConnector $dbConn) {
$this->dbConn = $dbConn;
}
public function create($email,$password,$first_name,$last_name){
$this->dbConn->query("INSERT INTO users(email,password,first_name,last_name,created_at VALUES (:email,:password,:first_name,:last_name,NOW())");
$this->dbConn->bind(':email',$email);
$this->dbConn->bind(':password',$email);
$this->dbConn->bind(':first_name',$email);
$this->dbConn->bind(':last_name',$email);
$this->dbConn->execute();
return $this->dbConn->lastInsertId();
}
// ...
}
Results:
No singleton used = testable.
Connection to the database is just openned when needed
Your connection is persistent. If you open and close connections in every method, you loose the capability of creating transactions.

Answer 2

What about using the Singleton pattern to create one object for the connection and use it everytime you need it, instead of creating new objects all the time?

Answer 3

I would do something similar with lazy loading: don't initiate in the constructor unless you're sure you actually need the connection every time an object is created but absolutly don't create a new object on each method call. Instead, save the resulting object into an object var which is checked on each method call and initiates the connection if missing.
class user {
protected $_db = null;
private function _init_db() { $this->_db = new XXX; }
public function create( $x, $y, $z ) {
if ( ! $this->_db ) $this->_init_db();
# use $this->_db ..
}
public function find_by_email( $x, $y, $z ) {
if ( ! $this->_db ) $this->_init_db();
# etc
}
}
This has the advantages of avoiding global static state (singletons..) and only creates the connection / object at the very last moment so you're sure you actually need it and it's not just a useless connection.

Answer 4

Speaking of efficiency, the main problem with your code is that it establishes new connection for the every method called. This one is indeed inefficient to the point of killing your database server. And it's incomparable to the other problem you have.
So, in general, you can have whatever way you want - either get somehow an instance of db class in the every function or use a class variable - but either way have to use single PDO instance throughout whole application.
Also I find your functions quite inefficient from the amount of code point of view, and would have optimized them this way
public function create($email,$password,$first_name,$last_name){
$sql = "INSERT INTO users(email,password,first_name,last_name,created_at) VALUES (?,?,?,?,NOW())";
$this->db->query($sql);
$result = $db->execute(func_get_args());
return $db->lastInsertId();
}

Answer 5

From a object point of view, I'd leave database instantiating within the methods, rather than an entire class.
Each method should only see the variables and data it needs, in order to perform its function.
For instance, a createUser() method would need to see variables or properties such as $username, $usergroupId, as well as $database etc.
However, you may have a function which is called randomPassword(), which generates a random password from numbers and letter.
This randomPassword() function doesn't need the database object and therefore, an already initialised database connection in the object scope would be wasteful.
It would be better only to create the new database object in methods that required it.
In addition, in my application, I don't create a new database connection each time I used new database. Instead, I've opted for a singleton PDO database object which keeps the connection active.
I can then just call the database object statically to retrieve an existing connection. Therefore, if, in the process of running my application I need to have 20 database objects, my application then only returns the same object, and the same connection.